Ethnic differences in drug utilization pattern during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differences in exposure to medications in a cohort of multi-ethnic pregnant women. METHODS: Six hundred and forty-one pregnant women of Western, Arab/Turkish and "other origins" participated in this cross-sectional study using a questionnaire in a university hospital in Brussels, Belgium. Assessment of the drug safety was done using the food and drug administration (FDA) risk classification system. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (Chicago, IL). RESULTS: In overall cohort, 83.8% used at least one preparation (including multivitamins) during pregnancy and 37.0% of women used at least one drug (excluding multivitamins). Significantly more Western women (43.7%) used one or more medications compared to Arab/Turkish women (28.7%; p = 0.000). This difference in exposure was most pronounced for over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for occasional and pregnancy-related complaints, and was observed for potentially unsafe drugs or drugs with unknown safety. None of the women reported use of FDA X category drugs. CONCLUSIONS: The use of drugs known to be harmful was not observed, but a higher prevalence of exposure to potentially harmful drugs (FDA C/D) was found among Western women who also consumed more OTC drugs. This highlights the need for cautious prescribing for women in the fertile age in general and for continuous monitoring of medication use during pregnancy.

Iron status, iron supplementation and anemia in pregnancy: ethnic differences.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the anemia prevalence during pregnancy and the use of and response to iron supplementation in a multi-ethnic population as well as the possible association between anemia and birth outcomes (pregnancy duration, birth weight). METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in a university hospital (Brussels, Belgium) in 341 women. Hemoglobin, ferritin and iron prescription data were extracted from the patients' electronic dossiers; a questionnaire was used to assess iron intake during pregnancy. RESULTS: Anemia prevalence was higher during the 3rd trimester (24.3%) than in the 1st trimester (6.2%). Arab/Turkish women had a higher prevalence of anemia (9.1%) in the 1st trimester compared to Western women (2.4%; p = 0.044). The frequency of iron prescription was significantly higher among Arab/Turkish (43.7%) compared to Western women (27.9%; p = 0.006). A significantly lower mean birth weight was found among women presenting with anemia in the 1st trimester (3166 g) compared to non anemic women (3442 g; p = 0.036) but no significant difference was detected in mean pregnancy duration between both groups (p = 0.804). CONCLUSIONS: Anemia was more prevalent among Arab/Turkish women in spite of receiving more iron prescriptions than Western women. Efficient iron therapy and intensive follow-up are warranted to decrease the anemia prevalence during pregnancy, especially among non-Western women.