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2nd Trimester
labetalol
Ok, so I was in the hospital for a couple days due to a major headache and blurred vision. I don't have Pre Eclampsia but what I do have is moderate to high blood pressure. So they switched me from Aldamet to Labetalol. Does anyone know more about this medication? I keep reading that it causes low birth weight in babies when administered during the second trimester. Is this true? Anyone?
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Re: labetalol
Hi reiljen- I'm also on Labetalol, but I was treated with medication for high blood pressure pre-pregnancy, so I didn't have much of a choice- I had to stay on medication. My doctor told me that yes, some studies have shown that Labetalol (actually, all blood pressure medication) can cause low birth weight, but studies show that high blood pressure also causes low birth weight, so it can be hard for those completing the studies to know if the low birth weight was due to the Labetalol or the underlying condition.
My doctor told me that I would be monitored with extra ultrasounds if it seemed like my baby was small at my 20 week scan. So, I would imagine your doctor would do the same.
What dose of Labetalol are you on? I take 200 mg 3X a day, and my doctor mentioned that the maximum dose in pregnancy is 2400 mg per day, so I have a long way to go, if I need to. I would imagine that dose would play into the birth weight issue as well.
Hope that helps! Remember, the dangers of pre-eclampsia are much greater than the dangers of having a smaller, but full-term, baby.
I'm on labetalol too. Although aldomet might be a safer choice for the baby, it does not work as well to control BP--according to my dr and my own experience. I've tried a few different meds for BP. My OB has approved labetalol. My OB said that it if the baby is small for it's gestational age, it would be even hard to attribute it to the medicine because I am very petite so it's likely I would produce a petite baby. So....I try not to think about the effects, to be honest. I worry enough as it is. And I have to take the medicine, there is no way around it. I just hope and pray this baby is healthy and strong.