Cetirizine

Date: May 2025, Version 4.0

Quick read

Cetirizine can be used during pregnancy.

What is it?

Cetirizine (Benadryl One A Day®, Zirtek®, Piriteze®, Pollenshield®) is a non-drowsy antihistamine used to treat allergies.

Benefits

What are the benefits of using cetirizine in pregnancy?

Cetirizine can improve unpleasant symptoms caused by allergy.

Risks

Are there any risks of using cetirizine during pregnancy?

No. The available information does not suggest that cetirizine causes any harm to you or your baby during pregnancy.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to using cetirizine?

Possibly. Other medicines can be used to treat allergies. You can ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice about the best treatment to help you feel better.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take cetirizine?

You might be able to improve some allergy symptoms without using a medicine. However, some women might need an antihistamine so that they can carry on their daily life.

Will my baby need extra monitoring?

Most women will be offered a scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy to look for birth defects as part of their routine antenatal care. Using cetirizine in pregnancy does not require extra scans or monitoring of your baby.

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

We do not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes cetirizine.

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.