Pregnant Women Should Avoid Nasal Sprays

Women using decongestants (nasal sprays) in the first three months of pregnancy are at an increased risk of having a child with rare genetic defects. This was stated by staff at Boston University, The Daily Mail writes.

According to the scientists, some of these products, which are actively used by people suffering from hay fever, are associated with the defects in the digestive tract, ears, and heart. The author of the study Allen Mitchell says that 2-3% of children are born with such defects. Some of them require surgery, but not all of them are a threat to a child’s life.

The scientists observed children born with various defects in the period 1993 to 2010. They interviewed their mothers about chromosome problems and then analyzed the information. Women were also asked about the drugs they took during pregnancy and two months before.

The results showed that the use of phenylephrine in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with an eightfold risk of heart disease (endocardial cushion defect – a disease in which the walls separating heart chambers are poorly formed or absent).

Phenylpropanolamine contained in certain decongestants was associated with an eight-fold risk of developing hearing defects and stomach problems. In addition, for the first time the authors have established a link between the use of pseudoephedrine and limb defects. And the use of imidazoline (found in nasal sprays and eye drops) doubles the risk of an anomalous connection of the trachea and esophagus.