A woman now pregnant in week 18 took in week four (counted from last period) four tablets of valeri

Fråga: A woman now pregnant in week 18 took in week four (counted from last period) four tablets of valeriana officinalis. Is there any increased risk for teratogenicity?

Sammanfattning: The three registered valerian containing drugs are classified as category A, although the available literature dos not provide any data on use of valerian during pregnancy. Data from the Medical Birth Registry is not supportive of any significant teratogenic risk in the exposed fetus.

Svar: Valeriana Officinalis L is a plant used for many years as a sleep aid and mild sedative in several European countries (1,2,3). Three products (Valerecen, Baldrian-Dispert, Neurol) registered in Sweden are classified in category A in FASS (3). Accessible literature does not provide any data about using valerian during pregnancy.

In the Medical Birth Registry there were 50 expositions for valerian with 49 healthy babies and one malformation - undescended testes, which is probably unrelated to the use of valerian. In general, exposition to drugs during the first four weeks after last menstrual period usually results in all or none effect ie an early miscarriage if the fetus has been harmed or no significantly increased risk for malformations if the pregnancy proceeds normally (4).