Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology

Risk and benefit of drug use during pregnancy

International Conference and Exhibition on Pharmacovigilance & Clinical Trials

October 1-3, 2012 DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-North Shore, USA

Antoine Malek

AcceptedAbstracts: Clin Exp Pharmacol

Abstract:

Drug development in obstetrics occurs via an informal process of migration from use in adults into use during pregnancy. Very few treatments have been specifically developed for use in pregnancy irrespective of the focus of therapeutics ? mother, placenta or fetus. This informal process means that use during pregnancy is off-label, with dosing, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and efficacy not described in regulatory documents, product labels, textbooks, or the literature. The physiological, cellular and molecular changes across pregnancy and the impact of the drug disposition between mother, placenta and fetus provide the important role of the placenta in drug delivery between these compartments. The current presentation will address many questions regarding drugs in pregnancy such as: 1) How do we know which prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications are harmful? 2) Which medications should be avoided? 3) If a father takes drugs/medications, will this affect the baby? 4) What kinds of illegal drugs are harmful to fetuses? 5) Is smoking/tobacco and caffeine use or drink alcohol during pregnancy harmful?

Biography :

Antoine Malek has completed his Ph.D at the age of 29 years from Biochemistry Institute of University Zurich. His postdoctoral studies, which were provided by a fellowship of the Food and Drug Administration for two years in USA, conducted in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arkansas, and National Center of Toxicology Research (NCTR), Little Rock/ Jefferson, AR. He is the Head of Placental Research Group of the Obstetrics Department, University Hospital Zurich. He has published more than 60 papers in reputed journals. He serves as Editorial Board member of ISRN Obstetrics and Gynecology and Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.