WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for June, 1998: Re: Pregnancy on the pill

Re: Pregnancy on the pill

From: anonymous@obgyn.net
Sun, 28 Jun 1998 21:35:40 -0500 (CDT)

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In reply to: Amy: "Pregnancy on the pill"

At Sun, 28 Jun 1998, Amy wrote: >
>Last year I became pregnant while I was on the pill. My baby was born with
>a congential heart defect, pulmonary stenosis.

The general failure rate of the full-strength oral contraceptive is about 1-3% per year. When taking them as directed it's probably closer to 1%.

Although it is impossible to say with certainty that any medication, including the pill, is not responsible for your baby's pulmonary stenosis, it is extremely unlikely. Most congenital heart defects are spontaneous (bad luck) events that are not related to medications. Some occur more often with chromosomal abnormalities (for example, Down syndrome), but most seem to arise spontaneously. To my knowledge, oral contraceptives are not linked to this (or any) trend in birth defects. While we certainly prefer that pregnant women not take them while pregnant, we recognize that it does not seem to be dangerous.

Congratulations on your baby!.

-- Ashley Hill David Ashley Hill, M.D. Associate Director Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency Orlando, Florida

The above information is provided for medical education only, and is not intended as specific medical advice. I am sorry, but due to time constraints, I am unable to answer personal e-mail.

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