I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant and I Had Botox

This topic has come up numerous times.  A visit with your obstetrician is strongly advised.  The animal studies are theoretical.  They may not have any bearing on humans.  The decisions are always individual.  There is a tiny study of woman who had BOTOX while being pregnant and it this small group, there were no problems with the pregnancies that went to term.  So it is recommended that you see your obstetrician to discuss the situation and have personalized recommendation in a situation where there are no definite answers.

Hi there!Of course it is important you are not pregnant or breastfeeding at the same time as having toxin or dermal filler injections. This is however based on 'medical caution' as there is no evidence out there to suggest it is either safe or unsafe. It is unlikely in this event that there will be any harm caused so rest assure however due to the above we remain diligent.Please do contact the practioner who carried out the procedure for any other queries or concerns.Best wishes, Dr Rupert 

There are no studies available to date that indicate that Botox crosses the blood-brain barrier, nor that it has any effects on the the developing embryo, or the uterus, during pregnancy.  The dosages of Botox that we use to inject the muscles of facial expression are extremely minute, targeted to very specific locations, and unlikely to enter the circulatory system.  In our practice, we do not administer Botox injections if we know a patient is pregnant or breast feeding, although we know the risks are unquantified, and most likely small.  Should you have further concerns, I would suggest you consult your obstetrician for additional reassurance.

I am not aware of any human studies that show adverse effects of Botox on pregnant women or the fetus.  That being said, cosmetic treatments like Botox and fillers are always deferred in women who are pregnant or nursing due to the remote possibility of unknown effects on the baby.  While the small amounts of Botox used in the face for cosmetic purposes is unlikely to cause any harm, a visit with the obstetrician would definitely be recommended.
All the best,

Unfortunately I don't think you are going to get a good answer from any plastic surgeons haha.I would defer this one to your OB/gyne and your pediatrician. They will be able to better advise you. That being said, you should have some piece of mind that the dose for cosmetic botox is very small compared to any of those mouse studies. So do your best to not google and see your OB/GYN asap. They will likely make you feel better.Hope this helps.Best of luck,Drc

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.

We certainly don't inject botox on women who are knowingly pregnant, but I am not aware of reports concerning human problems of women who are pregnant during Botox inection therapy, regardless of trimester.

Hi Jackye.  Because there are large scale or long term studies for the effect of Botox on a fetus, we simply do not know.  With that said, it is fairly well accepted in this community that Botox has very little chance of affecting your child.  The product does not move easily once injected into the facial muscle and therefore should not travel to the point where it would interact with the fetus, at least in any detectable way.

Most if not all practitioners will advise against cosmetic procedures such as Botox during pregnancy and breastfeeding.  As the others have stated, check in with your obstetrician if you have further concerns.  Good luck with the baby.

Botox is contraindicated in pregnancy due to lack of studies to prove that it is safe. When used for cosmetic purposes, only a minute amount is used and most of it stays in the target area, it is remote that any of it will reach a high enough concentration to harm the fetus.

Hello Jackye,You are not alone in that many women find out they were pregnant after having Botox.  The reason it is advised to avoid during pregnancy is that there aren't any studies assessing its safety.  The reason there are not studies is because you can't take healthy patients and put them through a cosmetic treatment to see if it affects the baby.  However, there is no data in humans showing that there are any problems associated with Botox use during pregnancy either.  It is always best to mention this to your obstetrician, but you and your baby should be just fine.I hope this helps and good luck.