Taking Lovaza During Pregnancy: An Overview
The U.
S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Also, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals are automatically given a pregnancy Category C rating. A pregnancy Category C medicine may be given to pregnant women if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
In animal studies, extremely high doses of Lovaza given to pregnant rats decreased the number of live births and decreased the survival of the newborn rats. However, this was not seen with lower doses (which were still much higher than the equivalent recommended dose for humans). Studies in pregnant rabbits did not cause any problems.
It is important to note that Lovaza is a very pure medication, made using a five-step refinement process. Pregnant women should not worry about mercury or other contaminants that can be found in other forms of fish oil.
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