Is It Safe to Use InnoPran XL While Pregnant?
The U.
S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Also, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals are automatically given a pregnancy Category C rating.
When given to pregnant rats during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, high doses of
propranolol (the active ingredient in InnoPran XL) increased the risk of miscarriages or newborn death. In rabbits, no similar problems were seen.
However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category C medicine may be given to a pregnant woman if a healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
Little human research has been done on the effects of InnoPran XL on the fetus. There have been individual reports of slowed intrauterine growth, small placentas, and birth defects related to propranolol usage during pregnancy. There have also been reports of a very low heart rate, low blood sugars, and/or decreased breathing in some newborns whose mothers took
beta blockers just before or during childbirth.
