Anti-inflammatories linked with increased miscarriage
7 February 2001
Pregnant women who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during pregnancy may increase their risk of miscarriage, but do not seem to increase the risk of actual birth problems, such as congenital abnormalities, low birth weight or premature birth, according to a study in the 3 February 2001 issue of the British Medical Journal.
Researchers in Denmark investigated 1,462 pregnant women who had taken up prescriptions for NSAIDs in the 30 days before conception to birth compared with more than 17,000 pregnant women who had not been prescribed any medications during pregnancy. They also compared 4,268 women who had miscarriages (of whom 63 had taken NSAIDs) with 29,750 women who had live births.
In the women who took up prescriptions for NSAIDs, the researchers found no increased risk of problems with babies that were born, but there was a significant association with miscarriage. However, the authors stressed that they couldn't say definitively that NSAIDs were the cause as other factors may have also played a role.
The authors went on to say that knowledge of the safety of taking NSAIDs while pregnant is limited, and their observation of an increased risk of miscarriage is new and needs to be confirmed.
Last Reviewed: 08 February 2001
- 1. Br Med J 3 February 2001; 322: 266-270
