pregnancy and breastfeeding Flashcards
how is absorption of drugs affected in pregnancy? (e.g. GI motility, gastric pH and pulmonary alveolar drug uptake)
-GI motility is decreased
-gastric pH is increased therefore more basic
-pulmonary alveolar drug uptake is increased
how is the metabolism of drugs affected in pregnancy? (e.g. hepatic metabolism)
-CYP 3A4 and 2D6 enzymes are increased
-CYP 1A2, xanthine oxidase and N-acetyltransferase is decreased
how is the distribution of drugs affected in pregnancy? (e.g. Vd and albumin binding)
-Vd is increased
-albumin binding is decreased
how is the elimination of drugs affected in pregnancy? (e.g. renal blood flow and GFR)
-renal blood flow is increased
-GFR is increased
what are the three main questions that should be asked when assessing risk for drugs in pregnancy.
- can the drug cross the placental barrier
- is the fetus at a vulnerable developmental stage
- is the drug teratogenic
when is the fetus fully functional (in weeks)
18-20 weeks
what gets transferred from mom to baby?
-oxygen and nutrients
-antibodies
what gets transferred from baby to mom?
-CO2
- waste products
when do antibodies get transferred to the fetus?
after week 28
what characteristics prevent drugs from crossing the placental barrier?
-high molecular weight
-strong ionization
-high protein binding
-high water solubility (therefore lipophilic drugs cross more rapidly)
what molecular weight of drugs cross the placental barrier readily?
<500 Da
what molecular weight of drugs cross the placental barrier more slowly?
600-1000 Da
what molecular weight of drugs do not cross the placental barrier in significant amounts?
> 1000 Da
what are two examples of drugs that do not cross the placental barrier in significant amounts?
heparin and insulin
is the fetal or maternal pH more acidic?
fetal
do weak acids or weak bases cross the placental barrier?
weak bases - once in fetal circulation, become ionized and less likely to diffuse back
what is an example of a class of lipophilic drugs that cross the placental barrier
opioids!!!!!!
what period of fetal developing is there the greatest risk and why?
3-8 weeks due to organogenesis - formation and differentiation of organs and organ systems
of, relating to, or causing developmental malformations
teratogenic
what 5 things should be considered when determining if a drug is teratogenic?
-studies
-biological plausibility
-pattern of anomalies
-duration, dose and health of mother and baby
-time of exposure (what developmental stage is fetus exposed)
what kind of studies are conducted to determine if a drug is teratogenic?
-animal studies
-cohorts
-pregnancy registries
-case reports
true/false: the baby is only susceptible to teratogenic effects from drug therapy during the first three months of the pregnancy
false - first three months is the most risk for congenital malformations but fetus is always developing throughout the pregnancy therefore always a risk
when can neural tube defects occur (in weeks) if the fetus is exposed to a teratogen
3-4 weeks
a condition that affects the spine and is usually apparent at birth. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD)
spina bifida