Atrovent and Pregnancy

The FDA has categorized Atrovent as a pregnancy Category B medication, meaning that the medication is probably safe to take during pregnancy. In animal studies involving Atrovent and pregnancy, the medication did not increase the risk of birth defects. However, because animals do not always respond to medications in the same way that humans do, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of using Atrovent during pregnancy.

 

Is Atrovent Safe During Pregnancy?

Atrovent® (ipratropium bromide) is a prescription medication used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or a runny nose, depending on the particular form of Atrovent. Atrovent is probably safe for use in pregnant women.
 

Atrovent and Pregnancy Category B

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 B is given to medicines that have not been thoroughly studied in pregnant humans, but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.
 
In animal studies, extremely large doses of ipratropium (the active ingredient in Atrovent) did not increase the risk of birth defects. While these very high doses of ipratropium increased the risk of miscarriages in rats, it is thought that this is unlikely to be a problem when Atrovent is taken in normal dosages.
 
However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines in the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category B medicine should be given to a pregnant woman only if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
 
(Atrovent and Pregnancy Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;