ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2018
First trimester medication use in pregnancy in Cameroon: a multi-hospital survey.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Estimating the Prevalence of Prescribed Medication Use in Pregnancy with a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Drug safety · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence and associated factors of self-medication in worldwide pregnant women: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2024Pooled it
- Prevalence of systemic antibacterial use during pregnancy worldwide: A systematic review.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Prescribed medicines among pregnant women attending health facilities in Eritrea: patterns, safety, and determinants.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Article
- Patterns, Potential Teratogenicity, and Associated Factors of Drugs Prescribed to Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Units in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Debre Tabor, Northwest Ethiopia.BioMed research international · 2024Article
- Prevalence, predictors and pregnancy outcomes of unprescribed and herbal medicine use in Ibadan, Nigeria.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2023Article
- Self-medication practice among pregnant and postpartum women attending the regional hospital center of Souss Massa, Morocco: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Determining antenatal medicine exposures in South African women: a comparison of three methods of ascertainment.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Prevalence, determinants and attitude towards herbal medicine use in the first trimester of pregnancy in Cameroon: A survey in 20 hospitals.PLOS global public health · 2022Article
- Protocol of a prospective and multicentre China Teratology Birth Cohort (CTBC): association of maternal drug exposure during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcomes.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Article
- Patterns and determinants of prescribed drug use among pregnant women in Adigrat general hospital, northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere is a paucity of epidemiological data on medication use in pregnancy in Cameroon.
methodsBetween March and August 2015, 795 pregnant women attending 8 urban and 12 rural hospitals in Cameroon for antenatal (ANC) or other care were interviewed on first trimester medication use using structured questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the association of 18 sociodemographic factors with medication use.
resultsA total of 582 (73.2%) women took at least one orthodox (Western) medication during the first trimester, 543 (68.3%) women a non-pregnancy related orthodox medication, and 336 (42.3%)women a pregnancy related orthodox medication. 44% of the women took anti-infectives including antimalarials (33.6%) and antibiotics (20.8%).The other most common medications were analgesics (48.8%) and antianaemias (38.6%). Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, contraindicated in the first trimester of pregnancy, was the most commonly used antimalarial(13% of women).0.2% of women reported antiretroviral use. Almost 80% of all orthodox medications consumed by women were purchased from the hospital. 12.8% of the women self-prescribed. Health unit and early gestational age at ANC booking were consistent determinants of prescribing of non-pregnancy related, pregnancy related and anti-infective medications. Illness and opinion on the safety of orthodox medications were determinants of the use of non-pregnancy related medications and anti-infectives. Age and parity were associated only with non-pregnancy related medications.
conclusionThis study has confirmed the observations of studies across Africa indicating the increasing use of medications during pregnancy. This is an indication that access to medicine is improving and more emphasis now must be placed on medication safety systems targeting pregnant women, especially during the first trimester when the risk of teratogenicity is highest.
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