Sexual Health | Pregnancy and children | Prescribing for STI treatment in pregnancy, lactation and children

Prescribing for STI treatment in pregnancy, lactation and children
Session overview
Description
This session covers the generic principles when prescribing in pregnancy, lactation and for children. Prophylactic medication and treatment for specific STIs are considered.

All doses stated in this session are from the British National Formulary (BNF) and British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). Please be aware that all the information in this session was correct at the time of publishing and that new data/evidence can cause the guidance to change. As this is a rapidly changing field, always refer to the most up-to-date guidelines, current versions of which can be found in the Resources section.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• describe the generic principles of prescribing in pregnancy, lactation and for children
• describe the potential risks in prescribing for the mother and fetus
• understand prophylaxis for STIs, including post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV in children, pregnancy and lactation
• list the treatments for STIs in children, pregnancy and lactation
• explain the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in children, pregnancy and lactation

The association between unregulated administration of drugs and adverse fetal outcome was recognised following the use of thalidomide in pregnancy during the 1960s and, more recently, of sodium valproate with the resulting risk of developmental disorders and congenital malformations. Greater regulation in the administration and prescription of medication during pregnancy and the puerperium followed [1](read details regarding the reference), [2](read details regarding the reference), [3](read details regarding the reference), [4](read details regarding the reference), [5](read details regarding the reference), [6](read details regarding the reference).

When prescribing in children, one needs to take into account the following:

• child's age
• developmental stage
• weight and/or body surface area

Where possible, medicines should be prescribed within the terms of the product licence. However, medications may not be specifically licensed in pregnancy or for children. For many drugs, there is insufficient evidence to provide guidance. The absence of information provided in this session does not imply safety.

This session will help you understand the principles involved in prescribing for children, and in pregnancy and lactation. Prophylaxis and treatment for specific conditions will be considered.