Anti-Acne Drugs and Birth Defects

The correlation between birth defects and anti-acne drugs is reaching to alarming situation in United States in particular and the entire world. Most of the anti-acne drugs are prescription drugs that doctors prescribe to their patients. No herbal drug has been reported to cause any birth defect as prescription and synthetic medications do but they are still only a slight portion of the total acne medication used.

Most of the medications cause birth defects during conception, while some of them can cause birth defects in last six months of pregnancy. The common birth defects caused by anti-acne prescription medications include heart defects, mental retardation, microcephaly, hydrocephaly, cleft lips and palate and ear and eye abnormalities.

What do anti-acne drugs contain that cause fatal birth defect?
Most of the anti-acne drugs contain synthetic derivatives of vitamin A (retinol) called retinoids. Retinoids are used for maintaining epithelial cell growth. Epithelial cells make the walls of hair follicles and outer layers of skin. Thus, using retinoids is effective but may cause severe side effects. Retinoids cause severe side effects as they are artificially derived from vitamin A.

Vitamin A can be used as natural retinoids alternatively.

Around 1 million patients use anti acne prescription medications each year and 25% of babies born to women using such medications have serious birth defects while 50% of babies are mentally disabled this is of course in certain severe cases.

Common Myths about Anti- Acne Medications:
Acne sufferers can be categorized into two, first those who do not know the possible risks correlated with anti-acne medications, second those are too cautious about using anti-acne-medications. The second type of acne sufferers believe that even a single time use of anti-acne drugs can cause severe birth defects. While in practice, reports reveal that births defects are common in babies whose mothers used anti-acne drugs before one month of getting pregnant or during pregnancy.

Most doctors recommend using birth control pills while you are on accutane, it will reduce the risk of getting pregnant and birth control defects in babies.

Another very common myth is that every women taking accutane will essentially give birth to a disabled baby. It is also evident that few women did give birth to healthy and all-natural babies. But it does not mean to take risk of anti-acne drugs during pregnancy. The best way to go is to go for a natural herbal product.

Anti-Acne Drugs Influence on Entire Society:
You as acne suffer take anti-acne drugs and give birth to a disable and birth defected baby. Now what follows it? It affects entire society directly or indirectly.

Economical Aspects:
A disable and birth defected baby will essentially need more care which requires extra expenses. A baby with defected heart may need surgical treatment and life long care. Therefore, birth defects causes imbalance in the economical environment of a family and its dependants.

Social Aspects:
A society needs man power for prosperity; a young baby is a small bud which will support their nation and country in any way. If thousands of babies each year are born with some kind of birth defects, they really affect the society and its prosperity.

Prevention of Birth Defects:
Avoid use of synthetic medications and drugs unless until it is possible, and switch to natural herbs and remedies. The rapid growing herbal trend is the result of fatal side effects of synthetic drugs.

Conclusion:
Most of the anti-acne drugs cause serious birth defects. Birth defects are common to babies born by women who used certain anti-acne drugs before 1 month of getting pregnant or during pregnancy. Thus, avoid the use of anti-acne drugs during pregnancy or use efficient birth control pills for better prevention from risks.