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. 2025 Jul 12;25(1):760.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-025-07872-x.

Adverse effects of dipyrone (Metamizole) use during pregnancy on offspring health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Gabriel Moreira Lino  1 , Felipe Shoji Ishibashi  1 , George Alessandro Maranhão Conrado  1 , Cristiane Campello Bresani-Salvi  2   3 , Pauliana Valéria Machado Galvão  4
Affiliations

Adverse effects of dipyrone (Metamizole) use during pregnancy on offspring health: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Gabriel Moreira Lino et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to review the health outcomes of offspring following dipyrone use during pregnancy.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify clinical trials or observational studies investigating women who used dipyrone during pregnancy (up to 16 August 2024). The data was analyzed using odds ratios (ORs) with inverse variance and Bayesian random effects models.

Results: Six case-control studies and four prospective cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. No association was found with birth defects (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.83–1.77; I2 = 39.94%; 3 cohorts and 1 case-control), major anomalies (OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.47–2.37; I2 = 14.35%; 2 cohorts), infant leukemia (OR 1.25, 95% CI 0.86–2.22; I2 = 72.82%; 2 case-controls), gestational loss (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.57–1.13; 3 cohorts), prematurity (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.80–1.21; I2 = 0%; 3 cohorts), low birth weight, constriction of the ductus arteriosus, or renal and cardiac disorders. However, all analyses were of low or very low certainty.

Conclusion: No association was found between maternal use of dipyrone in the investigated outcomes, although these conclusions are limited by the quality of the included studies, sample size, and overall evidence. Further research with a better assessment of exposure is required to exclude risk.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12884-025-07872-x.

Keywords: Congenital abnormalities; Dipyrone; Pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram of study selection which included searches of databases and other sources
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Pooled odds ratios of birth defects in newborns of women who used dipyrone during pregnancy
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Pooled adjusted odds ratios of birth defects in newborns of women who used dipyrone during pregnancy
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Pooled odds ratios of major anomalies in newborns of women who used dipyrone during pregnancy
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Pooled odds ratio of gestational loss with dipyrone exposure during pregnancy
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Pooled odds ratio of prematurity with dipyrone exposure during pregnancy
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Pooled odds ratios of leukemia in infants of women who used dipyrone during pregnancy
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Pooled adjusted odds ratios of leukemia in newborns of women who used dipyrone during pregnancy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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