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BBC Panorama tonight investigated the affects of the use of various prescription drugs during pregnancy.

Antidepressants were seen to cause heart defects, but only minimal warnings were given to women of child bearing age.

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As it stands no drug tests are allowed on pregnant women, which makes sense.

The thing I cannot understand is, why when a child is born with defects, or any develope at a later stage, the Doctors involved in treating that child don't investigate medications taken by the mother before and during pregnancy.

It seems that a simple questionnaire taken at the time of birth might solve a few tragedies ever happening again.

I guess no drug tests are given for illegal drugs, pot, cocaine, etc. but why would a woman not tell her doctor about anti-depressants, & why would the doctor not ask about which prescriptions the mother is taking? Wouldn't any doctor want to know the drugs one is legally prescribed by another physician? Surely knowing that is protocol.

AnneBoleyn;1430884 wrote: I guess no drug tests are given for illegal drugs, pot, cocaine, etc. but why would a woman not tell her doctor about anti-depressants, & why would the doctor not ask about which prescriptions the mother is taking? Wouldn't any doctor want to know the drugs one is legally prescribed by another physician? Surely knowing that is protocol.
Maybe I said it wrong, they cannot trial new drugs on pregnant women, and when they are in general use they don't monitor their use through pregnancy.

The case they followed in the program, a women had an unplanned pregnancy, asked her doctor if her epilepsy tablets could affect the birth, he said No.

The birth happened normally no problems emerged until much later in the childs development.

Later she became pregnant again and wanted confirmation that her drugs would not harm the new pregnancy, she was told no yet again.

The second child suffered the same development problems.

I believe in Northern Ireland they are getting midwives to ask questions to follow up drugs taken during pregnancy.

There are no processes in hand to test the efficacy of drugs once they are released, following up their use over several years seems the least the mega rich pharmaceutical could do with our lives, it might cut into the profiits though.