The recent reports of a newer class of blood pressure lowering medications, ACE inhibitors, causing birth defects "even earlier" in gestation begs the question of whether I'd even consider, as a woman (if I were a woman) to take any drug invented before the 1970s, and not taken (and tested) extensively during pregnancy by others. It seems logical to me that basically any medication, and perhaps even nutritional supplements in any abnormal quantities should be avoided. If doctors advise that even minute quantities of mercury are potentially catastrophic to a fetus, why would medications, substances that tinker with our bodies in mostly unnatural ways, be any better?

The strangest part in this story is that ACE inhibitors were known for years to damage fetuses, but supposedly only in the 2nd and 3rd trimester. Some genius actuary looked at the data, and, since the drug only seemed to affect fetuses in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, he concluded it's only a risk then. My God, what kind of idiot would conclude this? Yes, because this stands a test of reasonability, and clearly, a fetus in its most primitive and formative state is less sensitive than a 2nd and 3rd trimester fetus? I applaud the genius who came to that conlusion, and I encourage him or her to meet these children who are now deformed, allegedly, as a result of his conclusion.

These drugs totally scare me, seriously.