Can I Take Alavert When Pregnant?
Alavert® (
loratadine) is an antihistamine used for treating
allergies. Based on animal studies, this medication does not appear to present a significant risk to a developing fetus, although the full effects in humans are not currently known.
Alavert and 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 that 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 pregnancy Category B rating.
Alavert was given a pregnancy Category B classification because this medication, even when used in very high doses. did not cause any problems when given to pregnant animals. A few studies have suggested that Alavert does not increase the risk of birth defects or miscarriages in humans, although more thorough studies are necessary.
It is important to note that while human studies did not suggest problems with Alavert, these studies could not completely rule out the possibility of problems. 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.
