QuestionHi. I would like to know about the use of decongestants during pregnancy. Is sudafed considered a safe option? Also, would nasal sprays be ok to use? I have Zicam nasal spray which contains oxymetazoline hydrochloride and am wondering if this is safe to use during pregnancy. Here is some info I have read on it..
Xylometazoline and oxymetazoline are decongestants found in nasal sprays. 5-10% of a medication delivered via nasal spray reaches maternal circulation; fetal exposure is, therefore, low. Because nasal congestion is common during pregnancy, women may use more than the recommended amount of nasal spray. Prospective data on 197 women exposed to intranasal oxymetazoline did not indicate an increased risk for malformations (Schatz et al 1997); a retrospective study on 207 women exposed to xylometazoline had similar negative findings (Aselton et al., 1985). Based on this, combined with the low exposure level, the risk of adverse outcome after exposure to nasal spray is thought to be minimal.
Any additional info you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks for your help!
Jennifer
Answerall of these are considered very low risk during pregnancy... meds like sudafed may delay contractions in late pregnancy. I would minimize the use of anything, esp during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. It is impossible to be completely safe, since no studies can be done in humans, but looking back (retrospectively) no problems were found....
