Botox While Pregnant: Can it Harm my Child?

Question

Hello! I read about the woman who got Botox five weeks after her last menstrual period. It says that you do not believe that the embryo is damaged. Now, unfortunately I took a botox syringe when I was 12 weeks and my anxiety is unbearable. My question is can my children have suffered because it had gone further in my pregnancy or the same as for the woman who took her injection at the beginning of her pregnancy. I did not know about the prohibition of botox during pregnancy. Thanks!

Young R. Cho, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question.  I would not worry too much if you had Botox and found out you were pregnant.  Botox works locally where it was injected and the dosing is very small.  The makers of Botox would never consider sponsoring a study to see the saftey of Botox during pregnancy or breast feeding as it would be too risky for them.  Likewise, for physicians.  I generally provide reassurance for situations like yours and I do recommend that you stop any future injectable treatments until either the baby is born or until after breast feeding.  I would also let you OB know that you had a Botox treatment during pregnancy so they are aware.

Harold J. Kaplan, MD · Answer

Hi Molly.  Sorry to hear about all the anxiety this issue is creating for you.  While no one knows for sure if Botox can harm the fetus (there are no studies), Botox is normally confined to a very small area in and around the muscle to which it is injected.

	While it's perfectly reasonable to have anxiety about this issue, we would try to do everything you can to come to peace with the issue for two reasons.  First you cannot go backwards and reverse the injection and second, more stress during your pregnancy will not be good for you and the baby.  Good luck.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Mollymy

	Of course that is not your question.  Your question is that you got BOTOX at week 12 and you want to know will it harm your child.  Because no formal testing has been done for BOTOX in pregnant women, on one can actually answer that question.  There is a very small study of women who did receive BOTOX while pregnant there were absolutely no effects to their children.  Also for certain medical conditions, such as neck spasm, doctors are occasionally forced to recommend BOTOX during pregnancy.  This is a completely off-label use of the product.  There are no reports of adverse consequences.  However, generally, experts do not feel it is possible to say definitively yes it is safe.  The best advice in this circumstance is to speak with your obstetrician and obtain their recommendation and guidance.

Babak Azizzadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

I do not recommend you get Botox while you are pregnant.  It has not been studied or documented yet but is not worth the risk.  Just wait and do it after you give birth and are done breastfeeding.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. There are no studies that show Botox impacts your ability to get pregnant or pregnancy. Out of caution, most doctors will not inject if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. However, I recommend you to follow up with ob/gyn to discuss your concerns and treatment. Best of Luck!

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question Mollymy. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.Although Botox is one of the safest treatments offered, there are some situations where it is not appropriate. The safety and efficacy of Botox treatments have not been determined in women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding. There is also no evidence that Botox crosses the placental barrier, but such studies have not been published. While some physicians are comfortable treating women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid Botox and other such cosmetic treatments until they are no longer breast feeding.Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Hardik Soni, MD · Answer

I would advise pregnant women not to have Botox until pregnancy and breast feeding is over. Botox works by binding to the nerve endings of muscles, blocking the release of the chemical that makes your muscles contract. If you just found out you're pregnant and have recently used Botox for cosmetic or medical reasons, such as to treat migraines or neck spasms, don't worry. It's unlikely there's any risk to your baby. But if you're deciding whether or not to get Botox while you're pregnant, I'd suggest taking the cautious route and waiting.

Jeffrey W. Hall, MD · Answer

Studies have not been preformed with pregnant women. The risk are unknown. Our office policy is not to inject Botox while pregnant.

Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD, FACS · Answer

Congratulations on your pregnancy!  I'm sorry to hear that you are having so much anxiety.  My recommendation would be to consult your ob/gyn.  There haven't been any formal studies for the effects of Botox on pregnancy but is definitely not something you should do.  Please see your ob/gyn.  I'm sure he/she will be happy to answer your questions and check to make sure your baby is ok.

	Dr. Cat Begovic

Keshini Parbhu, MD · Answer

There have been no formal studies looking at Botox and it's safety in pregnancy. However, there is one study that found that women who received botox and later found out they were pregnant had uneventful pregnancies. Always tell a physician that you are pregnant (at whatever stage you are in) whenever receiving any treatments or medications and consult your Ob/Gyn for further reccomendations and insight into this issue.

Botox While Pregnant: Can it Harm my Child?

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