Dutch consortium launches platform with tailor-made medication for pregnant women

Radboud University Medical Center, Lareb and Maastricht UMC+ have unveiled a platform that offers personalized medication dosing for pregnant women. Traditionally, dosing medications during pregnancy has been a complex challenge, with three-quarters of expectant mothers requiring medication but facing insufficient information about safe use.

With as many as three in four pregnant women requiring medication, the risk of side effects from incorrect dosing is a major problem. Too high or too low a dose can significantly affect the health of the unborn child. This new platform is equipped with computer modeling, placental research data, and safety and efficacy data to provide accurate dose recommendations that protect the health of the mother and child.

Expert insights into personalized dose recommendations

Saskia de Wildt, the project leader, emphasizes the importance of understanding the different biological changes in women during pregnancy that may require dose adjustments. Charlotte Koldeweij, physician and PhD candidate, explains the process further and explains how the integration of model predictions with pregnancy-specific data forms the basis for these individualized drug dose recommendations.

The platform not only offers new dose recommendations, but also aims to become an international source that provides healthcare providers and pregnant women with well-founded information. The MELINDA website serves as a hub for this knowledge and summarizes the evidence and considerations underlying recommended drug doses to ensure the safety and well-being of expectant mothers and their unborn children.