Some conditions that a fetus has can be treated with medications. In these cases, the mother can be used as a pathway to her fetus. Medications that are needed by the fetus are given to the mother so that they will cross the placenta and get to the fetus. The mother and fetus must both be carefully monitored to see how each of them is tolerating the medication.
Methods of giving medications will vary depending on the individual problem and include:
- Injections to the mother using a needle
- Pills that a mother swallows
- Medicine given into the amniotic fluid using a thin needle
- Medicine given directly to the fetus through the umbilical cord, using a thin needle
Examples of medications given include:
- Steroids to stimulate maturity of the fetus’s lungs if the baby might need to be delivered early
- Heart medicines for irregular heart rhythms in the fetus
- Steroids for congenital adrenal hypoplasia of the fetus, a rare condition
- Thyroid medications if a fetus has a thyroid problem