Cohort Study | Early pregnancy exposure to NSAIDs is associated with slightly higher risks of neonatal and maternal adverse outcomes
7 Mar, 2023 | 12:56h | UTCSummary:
A nationwide cohort study in South Korea, including 1.8 million pregnancies, investigated the association between the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during early pregnancy and neonatal and maternal adverse outcomes.
The study revealed that pregnant women exposed to NSAIDs during early pregnancy were at increased risk of oligohydramnios and had a slightly higher likelihood of having an infant with major congenital malformations and low birth weight. These risks remained elevated when comparing NSAIDs against acetaminophen or past users.
The study suggests that clinicians should weigh the need to prescribe NSAIDs in early pregnancy against the modest but possible risk of neonatal and maternal outcomes and consider prescribing nonselective NSAIDs for <10 days, with continued careful monitoring for any safety signals.