Pregnancy and Aciphex: An Overview
Aciphex® (
rabeprazole) is generally considered safe for use during pregnancy, based on the results of animal studies. However, the full risks are currently unknown.
What Is Pregnancy Category B?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been adequately studied in pregnant humans but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.
Medications that have been shown to be safe for use in pregnancy in humans but have caused problems in laboratory animals are also given a Category B rating.
In studies, giving large doses of Aciphex to pregnant animals did not cause any problems. However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category B medicine should be given to a pregnant woman only if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant while taking Aciphex, let your healthcare provider know.
He or she will consider the benefits and risks of using the medication during pregnancy before making a recommendation in your particular situation.
