10 over-the-counter drugs to avoid during pregnancy

Some of the best-known medicines from the local drugstore can be harmful to pregnant women, yet many mothers-to-be regularly take them.

Studies show that, on average, women take between one and four medications during pregnancy, not including vitamins or minerals. An estimated 60 percent of pregnant women use over-the-counter drugs, not always with physician oversight.

To help you and your doctor make more-informed choices about which medications to take, we've identified 10 commonly used ingredients in OTC drugs that are risky for pregnant women, and offered safer alternatives.

For example, moms-to-be should not take castor oil and should avoid aspirin during all stages of pregnancy. During the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, they should use the following products with caution and avoid them entirely during their third trimester: bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol), chlorpheniramine (Actified, Chlor-Trimeton, and many other combination cold medicines), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve).

When choosing an OTC medicine, you'll need to be a careful label reader since brand names can be deceiving. For example, while acetaminophen (Tylenol) is considered relatively safe for use in pregnancy, some combination products that include the brand name "Tylenol," such as Tylenol Allergy Sinus Maximum Strength, contain chlorpheniramine.

See the rest of this report, which includes a full list of 10 drugs OTC drugs to avoid in pregnancy, on ConsumerReportsHealth.org.