Why Pregnant Women Are Still Missing From Drug Trials and Why It Matters Now

13/10/2025 13 min
Why Pregnant Women Are Still Missing From Drug Trials and Why It Matters Now

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Episode Synopsis

For decades, pregnant women have been excluded from most clinical drug trials. The policy was meant to protect mothers and babies, but it has left major gaps in medical knowledge. Now, renewed debate over the safety of common medicines like Tylenol has brought those gaps into sharp focus.   In this episode, STAT News reporter Lizzy Lawrence joins host J. Carlisle Larsen to discuss how history, politics, and caution shaped the science of pregnancy, and what it will take to ensure women are fully included in research that affects their health.  You can read her piece here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.