Mephedrone

Date: September 2021, Version 2

Quick read

Mephedrone should not be used in pregnancy. A doctor or midwife will be able to provide advice and support to help with stopping mephedrone.

What is it?

Mephedrone (M-CAT, White Magic, Meow Meow) is a recreational drug that causes changes in mood and behaviour.

How might mephedrone affect the baby?

Very few pregnant women who use mephedrone have been studied and the effects on a developing baby are therefore unclear. Mephedrone is related to a class of drugs called amphetamines, which have been linked to low birth weight and preterm birth.

Mephedrone may cause short-term withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby if taken in the weeks before delivery. For this reason, a baby may be monitored for some time after birth to check for symptoms such as jitteriness, difficulty sleeping and breathing problems.

Will my baby need extra monitoring?

All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. Because this scan is so thorough, extra monitoring for birth defects is not usually required following mephedrone use in pregnancy. If mephedrone use has continued into later pregnancy, extra monitoring of the baby’s growth may be advised.

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken mephedrone?

We would not expect any increased risk to the baby if the father took mephedrone before or around the time you became pregnant.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system (MyBump Portal) allows women who are currently pregnant to create a secure record of their pregnancy, collected through a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, your pregnancy outcome and your child's development. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit the MyBump Portal to register.

General information
Sadly, miscarriage and birth defects can occur in any pregnancy.

Miscarriage occurs in about 1 in every 5 pregnancies, and 1 in every 40 babies are born with a birth defect. This is called the ‘background risk’ and happens whether medication is taken or not.

Most medicines cross the placenta and reach the baby. For many medications this is not a problem. However, some medicines can affect a baby’s growth and development.

If you take regular medication and are planning to conceive, you should discuss whether your medicine is safe to continue with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking a medicine, you should tell your doctor as soon as possible.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please make sure that the person prescribing it knows that you are pregnant. If you have any concerns about a medicine, you can check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Our Bumps information leaflets provide information about the effects of medicines in pregnancy so that you can decide, together with your healthcare provider, what is best for you and your baby.