Is botox safe in pregnancy?
Can I have botox injections while pregnant or could it harm my baby?
In a nutshell
Best not to for cosmetic reasons until there's more research on possible side effects
The expert view
According to the NHS, having botox, or Botulinum toxin type A injections as part of your beauty routine is not recommended when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. There is no specific reason at the moment as to why this is, because there is not yet any definitive evidence or research into its effects.
However, a US survey of doctors using botox found that of the 396 physicians who responded, 12 had used botox on pregnant women without reporting any adverse effects.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an approval system, which includes safety guidance for pregnancy. Botox has been labelled as pregnancy risk category C – which means there are no adequate human studies. The FDA recommends that it should be “administered during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the foetus”.
Given the lack of research on botox for cosmetic usage, it would be a sensible precaution to wait until after you have had your baby or finished breastfeeding before deciding to top up your injections, or to have it done for the first time.
More like this
Some people have botox injections for medical reasons, and if you fall into this category, talk your options through with your doctors.
Mums on our forum say
"I had a hospital appointment to look at botox in my eye when I was 7 weeks pregnant and when I explained that I was pregnant they told me they'd be in touch after my due date." xCalleighx
Read more about pregnancy safety:
Is teeth whitening safe in pregnancy?
Authors
Magda Ibrahim is a freelance writer who has written for publications including The Times and Sunday Times, The Sun, Time Out, and the London Evening Standard, as well for MadeForMums.
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