Is it safe to take cough medicine during early pregnancy?

During the early stages of pregnancy, if coughing is severe, relatively safe cough medications may be used under medical supervision. However, central-acting antitussives and opiate-based cough medicines are generally not recommended. If a pregnant woman experiences worsening cough symptoms or develops additional symptoms, she should seek timely medical attention so that appropriate treatment recommendations can be provided based on her condition. The analysis is as follows:

The early stages of pregnancy are a critical period for fetal organ development, and medications may affect the growth and development of the fetus. If cough symptoms are severe during early pregnancy, pregnant women may use certain relatively safe cough medicines under a doctor's guidance, such as Chuanbei枇杷膏 (Loquat Cough Syrup), Lanqin Oral Liquid, or Pudilan Xiaoyan Oral Liquid. These medications are considered relatively safe for use during pregnancy, but should still be taken under a physician's supervision.

However, pregnant women should avoid using cough medications contraindicated during pregnancy, such as codeine phosphate sustained-release tablets, compound licorice ephedrine tablets, and other central-acting antitussives, as well as opiate-based cough medicines. These drugs may cross the placenta and enter the fetal circulation, potentially suppressing fetal respiration and even causing fetal malformations or miscarriage.

If only mild coughing is present, pregnant women can try dietary remedies to alleviate symptoms, such as drinking plenty of water, getting adequate rest, and consuming foods with soothing and cough-relieving properties, such as lotus seed and tremella soup, rock sugar pear tea, or rock sugar pear porridge.