Safety concerns regarding binge drinking in pregnancy: a review.

Background: There is ongoing debate about the risks to the fetus associated with maternal binge drinking. This makes it difficult to counsel patients about the potential risks associated with their use of alcohol during pregnancy.

Methods: This article reviews the literature on animal and human studies regarding binge drinking (four to five drinks at one time in humans, or the equivalent in laboratory animals).

The art and science of teratogen risk communication.

Despite scientific advances in clinical teratology, exposures during pregnancy still cause great anxiety and misunderstanding. Patients and health care providers are frequently called upon to determine the health implications of scientific studies, which may involve limited and contradictory data. These findings are often conveyed numerically, which is a particularly difficult form of information for both patients and their health providers to understand and interpret.

Herbal agents and over-the-counter medications in pregnancy.

Exposures to over-the-counter and herbal products are frequent in pregnant women. Limited information exists on the effects of many of these agents during pregnancy; it is not safe to assume that because these products are available without a prescription that they are without danger to the pregnant woman and her fetus. The basic principles utilized in deciding whether to employ prescription medications such as dose, embryological timing and potential toxic fetal effects also apply to herbal medications and over-the-counter agents.