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Researchers in Denmark suggest one in ten pregnant women experiences painful morning sickness that can require medication to effectively treat. However, many women are afraid to take any medicine out of fear that it could harm the health of the baby. But a new study indicates the anti-nausea medication Zofran is safe for both a mother and her baby to treat morning sickness.
The results of the study have been published within the New England Journal of Medicine. The research team lead by Dr. Bjorn Pasternak of the Copenhagen State Serum Institute, says excessive vomiting and morning sickness can threaten the health of a baby. The purpose of the study was to test if medication used to treat nausea in sick patients could help pregnant mothers treat their morning sickness without affecting the health of their babies – and Zofran was the favourite medication.
Researchers examined the medical records of over 600,000 pregnant women in Denmark from 2004 to 2011, specifically checking for birth defects and still births. The team then studied the approximately 2,000 women who had used Zofran, and found there was little likelihood birth defects would increase due to the medication.
“These results cannot definitively rule out the possibility of adverse effects in association with Zofran,” the study reads. “However, the results do provide reassurance regarding the use of this agent for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy”.
The team encourages mothers to use Zofran as a last resort because natural treatments – like ginger ale, crackers, or vitamin B supplements – should be exhausted before turning to medication.