Abstract
[Extract]
A drug trial in the Netherlands which gave pregnant women Viagra to promote the growth of their babies was recently halted after 11 babies died.
Understandably, this may concern pregnant women, who are worried about the safety of medications they’re using during pregnancy.
While the reasons for deaths aren’t clear, pregnant women included in the study already had a “significant likelihood of fetal/neonatal death”. That is, their babies were already at very high risk of death due to growth restriction in-utero and being born prematurely.
This study was part of a new wave of research investigating whether novel drugs, such as sildenafil – which is sold under the brand name Viagra® – can improve outcomes for babies who are very sick in utero.
A drug trial in the Netherlands which gave pregnant women Viagra to promote the growth of their babies was recently halted after 11 babies died.
Understandably, this may concern pregnant women, who are worried about the safety of medications they’re using during pregnancy.
While the reasons for deaths aren’t clear, pregnant women included in the study already had a “significant likelihood of fetal/neonatal death”. That is, their babies were already at very high risk of death due to growth restriction in-utero and being born prematurely.
This study was part of a new wave of research investigating whether novel drugs, such as sildenafil – which is sold under the brand name Viagra® – can improve outcomes for babies who are very sick in utero.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | The Conversation |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Aug 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |