Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2003 Aug 16;327(7411):368.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.327.7411.368.

Exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during pregnancy and risk of miscarriage: population based cohort study

De-Kun Li  1 , Liyan Liu, Roxana Odouli
Affiliations

Exposure to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during pregnancy and risk of miscarriage: population based cohort study

De-Kun Li et al. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate whether prenatal use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with increased risk of miscarriage.

Design: Population based cohort study. Prenatal use of NSAIDs, aspirin, and paracetamol (acetaminophen) ascertained by in-person interview.

Setting: Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, a healthcare delivery system, in the San Francisco area of the United States.

Participants: 1055 pregnant women recruited and interviewed immediately after their positive pregnancy test. Median gestational age at entry to the study was 40 days.

Main outcome measures: Pregnancy outcomes up to 20 weeks of gestation.

Results: 53 women (5%) reported prenatal NSAID use around conception or during pregnancy. After adjustment for potential confounders, prenatal NSAID use was associated with an 80% increased risk of miscarriage (adjusted hazard ratio 1.8 (95% confidence interval 1.0 to 3.2)). The association was stronger if the initial NSAID use was around the time of conception or if NSAID use lasted more than a week. Prenatal aspirin use was similarly associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. However, prenatal use of paracetamol, pharmacologically different from NSAIDs and aspirin, was not associated with increased risk of miscarriage regardless of timing and duration of use.

Conclusion: Prenatal use of NSAIDs and aspirin increased the risk of miscarriage. These findings need confirmation in studies designed specifically to examine the apparent association.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Setter SM, Corbett C, Gates BJ, Terriff C, Johns CA, Sclar DA, et al. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: The need for assessment and education. Home Care Provid 2001;6: 100-5. - PubMed
    1. Brooks P. Use and benefits of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Am J Med 1998;104: 9-13S. - PubMed
    1. Hernandez-Diaz S, Garcia-Rodriguez LA. Epidemiologic assessment of the safety of conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Am J Med 2001;110(suppl 3A): 20S-7S. - PubMed
    1. Hertz-Picciotto I, Hopenhayn-Rich C, Golub M, Hooper K. The risks and benefits of taking aspirin during pregnancy. Epidemiol Rev 1990;12: 108-48. - PubMed
    1. Werler MM, Mitchell AA, Shapiro S. The relation of aspirin use during the first trimester of pregnancy to congenital cardiac defects. N Engl J Med 1989;321: 1639-42. - PubMed

Publication types