Communicating medication risks in pregnancy: towards shared decision making

Ursula Winterfeld^1*Kenneth Hodson²Maya Berlin³Benoît Marin⁴Michael Ceulemans⁵Corinna Weber-Schoendorfer⁶François R Girardin¹David Baud¹Béatrice Schaad⁷Alice Panchaud⁸

• ¹Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland
• ²Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
• ³Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
• ⁴Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, Centre de Référence sur les Agents Tératogènes (CRAT), F75012, Paris, France., Paris, France
• ⁵Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Departement Farmaceutische en Farmacologische Wetenschappen, Leuven, Belgium
• ⁶Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Embryonaltoxikologie, Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Berlin, Germany, Berlin, Germany
• ⁷Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois Hopital Nestle, Lausanne, Switzerland
• ⁸Universitat Bern Berner Institut fur Hausarztmedizin, Bern, Switzerland

Medication use during pregnancy is common, yet safety data remain limited, often leading to exaggerated risk perceptions and suboptimal care. Current communication practices are fragmented: product labeling and patient leaflets tend to emphasize potential harms, while specialized resources are underused. We explore the challenges of conveying accurate risk-benefit information and highlight the need for shared decision making. Integrated, evidence-based resources accessible to both healthcare providers and patients can reduce misinformation, improve adherence to essential treatments, and ultimately enhance maternal and child health. The Swiss MAMA-MEDS initiative illustrates how a unified knowledge base can align messaging, address health inequalities, and support patient-centered pregnancy care.