The Department of Nursing and Midwifery at An-Najah University held a series of lectures for the third year and fourth year midwifery students on using pregnancy and childbirth drugs.

Dr. Aidah Al-Kaissi, Head of the Nursing and Midwifery Department, first welcomed the students and the instructors participating in the activity. Rahija Awani delivered a lecture on the drugs that pregnant women use and the risk that such drugs impose on the mother’s milk. She also explained that using these drugs can impose great danger on the infant who undergo breastfeeding.

Using drugs during pregnancy is considered one of the most critical issues associated with pregnancy and which can lead to serious repercussions on the part of the embryo if used without consulting a physician. Moreover, she described the different types of drugs and the various risks they impose as well as the possible ways to avoid such drugs. She also explained the proper method to treat hypertension among pregnant women which can occur quite usually among those women and the possible ways to avoid such thing.

Shorouq Qadous delivered a lecture on insulin treatment during pregnancy and how the insulin dose changes depending on the period of the pregnancy. She also described the many types of insulin and how each types works, in addition to giving advice to pregnant women who have Diabetes to focus on self nourishment and weight control. Furthermore, she spoke about the risks that irregular sugar levels can inflict on the mother and her child.

Najwa Subuh spoke about the ethics of drug experiments during pregnancy and their impact on the mother and her child. And since the different fields of science, including medicine, have witnessed substantial development an ethical perspective and law must be set in order to regulate and control such use of drugs. There must be global laws and regulations that govern the use of drugs during pregnancy taking into consideration the different religious, social and cultural backgrounds of each country. She also spoke about Epidural Anesthesia which is used to alleviate delivery pain; this drug is used upon the request of the mother only.

Dr. Al-Kaissi discussed the changes in metabolism and the transport of drugs inside the body of a pregnant woman. Additionally, she explained the extreme imbalance in the thyroid and its functions which can cause menstrual irregularity considered one of the reasons of non-pregnancy. She also explained how the shortage of thyroid secretion can affect the mental and physical growth of the child and intelligence rate in the later stages of his life.

Dr. Mariam Al-Tal spoke about cortisone and its impact on the embryo’s brain growth, as well as the use of local anesthesia of the pregnant woman and the potential impacts.

Mahdyya Al-Koni addressed in her lecture the issue of drugs used during pregnancy, the reasons for using them and their impact on the pregnant.