Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

A Canadian study of pregnant Israeli women who took the heartburn medicine Reglan (metoclopramide) to treat morning sickness has shown the drug does not increase the rate of birth defects in the babies born to those women, compared with babies born to women who did not take the medication.

While researchers are calling this encouraging news to pregnant women, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says more studies must be conducted before the agency will grant approval for the drug to be used in the treatment of morning sickness. After all, the drug carries a black box warning to consumers and health care providers of a serious, debilitating and often irreversible movement disorder called Tardive Dyskinesia. Other problems, it appears, may occur when the medication is taken on a long-term basis, even for pregnant women. 

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