Chemotherapy, Safe for Pregnant Women
Cancer patients who are pregnant do not need to delay chemotherapy or even perform abortions because chemotherapy is considered safe for the fetus. The negative effects found in babies born prematurely to avoid chemotherapy.
Scientists who have examined the effects of mental development and health of children born to mothers who did find cancer therapy during pregnancy, the children were not affected by chemotherapy drugs. Their development even if they were born prematurely disturbed, either naturally or induced. Frederic Amant, a gynecologic oncologist from the University Hospitals of Leuven in Belgium who did this research said that the research data has shown that children suffer more from premature birth than by chemotherapy prenatal.
Increasing number of cases of cancer that strikes people of productive age caused quite a lot of pregnant women who suffer from cancer. In Europe alone each year 2500-5000 pregnant women diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis was traumatic for expectant mothers who are worried chemotherapy cancer treatment would reflect badly on her fetus.
Frederic Amant also said that from his experience most of the prospective mother decided to abortion because they fear the effects of chemotherapy on the fetus. On the other hand, doctors often advise patients to delay or accelerate the delivery of chemotherapy infant, usually at 32 weeks’ gestation.
However, the results of his research, is not appropriate if the chemotherapy is given after 12-14 weeks of gestation. Besides that only a small fraction of chemotherapy drugs that can be up to the placenta and fetus. According to Frederic Amant, The drug has no health effects on fetal development. Of the 70 infants studied, 68 were born during the study period and two thirds were born before 37 weeks of age.
Frederic Amant found, type of birth defect found in children is almost the same as children from the general population. The researchers also found no cardiac abnormalities. However, if there is impairment of cognitive development, measured by IQ scores and behavioral tests, is still quite normal. Only those whose IQ is low primarily due to preterm birth.
All this has been known that premature infants at high risk of experiencing difficulties in learning. Research has also shown that babies who were born 1-2 weeks early before age 40 weeks were also more often have difficulty learning.
Back to the study of chemotherapy and pregnancy, Frederic Amant also stressed that the results of this study remains to be proven by long-term research. Frederic Amant said that at present we do not know whether the impact of chemotherapy on long-term pregnancy, for example on the fertility of the child or the risk of cancer in the future.
