A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine asserts that it is “imperative” that pregnant women become more involved in research.
In spite of the fact that the majority of pregnant women in the United States take prescribed medications (excluding vitamins and minerals) for chronic or acute medical problems, very few are involved with clinical trials, say the authors.They also point out that pregnant women were among the populations at highest risk during the H1N1 epidemic, and this may be because the correct dosage of an antiviral flu drug was not evaluated in clinics.As the debate over including pregnant women in clinical trials continues, we’d like to know: How can pregnant women be included in clinical drug trials without placing undue risk on mother and fetus? What are the ethical implications of including an unborn child in research? We’re eager to hear your thoughts!
I take issue with the statement, "pregnant women were among the populations at highest risk during the H1N1 epidemic, and this may be because the current dosage…was not evaluated…"
Weren't pregnant woman at highest risk during the pandemic anyway, even removing vaccination from the equation? Do we now have data that implicated the vaccine as well? These would be 2 separate issues in my book.