Ribavirin

Date: February 2025, Version 4.0

Quick read

Ribavirin is occasionally prescribed during pregnancy if there is no better option to treat a severe viral infection.

What is it?

Ribavirin (Rebetol®) is an antiviral medicine used to treat chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infection. Ribavirin is also occasionally used to treat severe flu and other viral infections affecting the lungs.

Benefits

What are the benefits of taking ribavirin in pregnancy?

Ribavirin can prevent life-threatening complications of a severe viral infection.

Risks

Are there any risks of taking ribavirin during pregnancy?

Ribavirin use in pregnancy is not well-studied. While reports of a small number of human pregnancies do not suggest that ribavirin causes birth defects, much more research is required to confirm that it is safe. Use after the first trimester will not cause a birth defect as your baby is fully developed by this stage of pregnancy.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to taking ribavirin?

If ribavirin is offered in pregnancy, it is usually because there is no suitable alternative to treat a serious viral infection.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?

It is very important to treat a serious viral infection as this can be life-threatening for both you and your baby.

Doctors will only prescribe ribavirin during pregnancy when the risks from the infection are higher than the risks from ribavirin.

Will my baby need extra monitoring?

All pregnant women in the UK are offered a very detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. If you have been given ribavirin in the first trimester, you might be offered your 20-week scan slightly earlier.

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

Ribavirin works by causing genetic mutations and so, in theory, it might affect sperm production. A small number of reports do not suggest that use in fathers around the time of conception harms the baby but much more research is required to confirm this.

As a precaution, men using ribavirin are asked to wait at least seven months after finishing treatment before fathering a pregnancy. Men who take ribavirin and have a pregnant partner should use condoms to prevent their partner from being exposed to ribavirin through semen.

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.