Medication, Vaccine, and Folic Acid Use Among Pregnant Women in Belgium: Insights from the BELpREG Cohort

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BACKGROUND: Safety data for most medications in pregnancy remain limited, yet pharmacological treatment is often necessary. Evidence on real-world medication use in pregnancy including over-the-counter products and folic acid is scarce, especially in Belgium. METHODS: We conducted a drug utilization study using self-reported data from BELpREG, a prospective, web-based pregnancy registry established in November 2022. Pregnant individuals aged ≥ 18 years receiving healthcare in Belgium can enrol voluntarily at any stage in pregnancy and complete online questionnaires at enrolment and every four weeks until delivery. All participants with follow-up beyond the first trimester were included, and trimester-specific cohorts were constructed based on completion of questionnaires after each trimester. Data were extracted in July 2025. RESULTS: This study included 2096 participants, of whom 1767 were followed through trimester 2 and 1136 through trimester 3. Median gestational age at enrolment was 16 weeks. Prevalence estimates of medication use were 80.2% in the six months before conception, 85.8% in trimester 1, 92.0% in trimester 2, and 94.9% in trimester 3. The most common classes were analgesics, vaccines, antihistamines, antianemic preparations, and drugs for acid-related disorders. Paracetamol was most frequently used (35.4% in trimester 1), typically short term (median 3 days), followed by doxylamine-pyridoxine (26.7% in trimester 1). Folic acid supplementation was nearly universal, though only 59.9% met national guideline-concordant criteria. Maternal vaccine uptake was substantial but incomplete, with 66.5% receiving pertussis, 43.7% influenza, and 24.4% COVID-19 vaccination. Exposure to potentially inappropriate or teratogenic medications was rare. CONCLUSIONS: Medication use during pregnancy in Belgium was nearly universal, with high use of paracetamol and doxylamine-pyridoxine. Folic acid and vaccine uptake were substantial, but often not guideline-concordant.

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