Self-medication in pregnancy: a cross sectional study in primary health care

Gestation is a unique period during which exposure to a particular drug involves two organisms: the mother and the fetus. The risk of self-medication and the ingestion of tablets without medical evaluation comes at a double dose for pregnant women: both the woman and the fetus can fall victim to the side effects of medications, ranging from a simple allergy to poor fetal formation. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of self-medication in pregnant women in a municipality of Cariri Cearense. It is a cross-sectional study in a pregnant population of the city of Porteiras, Ceará. In order to calculate the sample size, the total population of 118 pregnant women and a 5% tolerable sample error were used to allow a 95% confidence interval. In this way, a group of 51 agents was initially obtained as an ideal sample for the development of this study. Of the 51 pregnant women interviewed, 13.7% corresponded to 17 to 20 years of age, 17.64% reported having up to eight years of study, 5.8% reported consensual union as a civil status, 80.3% did not have a job 60.78% reported family income less than one minimum wage and 1.96% were smokers. It was verified a existence of a pattern of prescription in the gestation that deserves to be discussed aiming at the minimization of risks unnecessary adverse effects, that can compromise the results of prenatal care offered. It is therefore recommended that intervention mensures be taken.