Bourns Lecture challenges exclusion of pregnant women in research

Pregnant women get sick and sick women get pregnant. For pregnant women to receive appropriate care for themselves and their fetuses, their treating clinicians need pregnancy-specific data about safety, toxicity, dosage, side effects and contraindications both for pregnant women and their fetuses. Too often researchers exclude pregnant women from clinical trials of drugs, vaccines, nutraceuticals, natural health products and medical devices, because of the potential harm to the developing fetus.

FranCoise Baylis, Canada Research Chair in Bioethics and Philosophy at Dalhousie University finds this common practice deeply problematic, given international guidelines that clearly stipulate pregnant women are eligible to participate in biomedical research. Pregnancy is not an automatic exclusion criterion for clinical trials, and pregnant women should only be excluded from research when there is a sound ethical or scientific reason to do so.

On February 14 at 7 p.m., Baylis will present a compelling argument that outlines the benefits and limitations of pregnant women in research and will also outline options for how and when pregnant women can safely be included in clinical drug trials.

This is a free public lecture and all are welcome. The lecture will take place in The Hamilton Spectator Auditorium, 44 Frid Street in Hamilton. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the lecture begins at 7 p.m. To reserve your seat e-mail
sciencecity@mcmaster.ca or by voice mail 905-525-9140 extension 24934

This is the third Bourns Lecture in Bioethics, made possible by Arthur Bourns – former President and professor emeritus – whose generous gift enables the university to invite a distinguished expert in the field of bioethics to present a public lecture to the community at large.