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Liu C, Pace S, Bromley R, Dobson R. Exposure to medication for neurological disease in pregnancy - time to consider the long-term implications? EClinicalMedicine 2023; 63:102157. [PMID: 37662523 PMCID: PMC10474373 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A range of long-term neurological conditions may be diagnosed in young adulthood. These conditions are generally not curable, and most people need to take ongoing treatment for symptom control and/or disease modification. When chronic diseases are diagnosed before people have completed their families, there is a need to balance the potential benefits of treatment for the mother against potential risk(s) to the fetus from exposure to medications during pregnancy. Whilst available data regarding short-term fetal outcomes following treatment exposures during pregnancy is rapidly increasing, information regarding longer-term outcomes is more limited. The association of fetal exposure to valproate with serious long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes has highlighted the importance of capturing and evaluating long-term data. In this review we examine available evidence around the long-term effects of treatments used for the most common long-term neurological conditions diagnosed in early adulthood, namely epilepsy, migraine and neuroinflammatory disorders. We draw from existing literature across a range of diseases and discuss strategies to improve future knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Liu
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, QMUL, UK
| | - Samuel Pace
- Department of Neurology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Bromley
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, UK
- Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Ruth Dobson
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, QMUL, UK
- Department of Neurology, Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
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Cardoso E, Guidi M, Nauwelaerts N, Nordeng H, Teil M, Allegaert K, Smits A, Gandia P, Edginton A, Ito S, Annaert P, Panchaud A. Safety of medicines during breastfeeding - from case report to modeling : A contribution from the ConcePTION project. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2023. [PMID: 37269321 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2023.2221847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite many research efforts, current data on the safety of medicines during breastfeeding are either fragmented or lacking, resulting in restrictive labeling of most medicines. In the absence of pharmacoepidemiologic safety studies, risk estimation for breastfed infants is mainly derived from pharmacokinetic (PK) information on the medicine. This manuscript provides a description and a comparison of the different methodological approaches that can yield reliable information on medicine transfer into human milk and the resulting infant exposure. AREA COVERED Currently, most information on medicine transfer in human milk relies on case reports or traditional PK studies, which generate data that can hardly be generalized to the population. Some methodological approaches, such as population PK (popPK) and physiologically-based PK (PBPK) modeling, can be used to provide a more complete characterization of infant medicine exposure through human milk and simulate the most extreme situations, while decreasing the burden of sampling in breastfeeding women. EXPERT OPINION PBPK and popPK modeling are promising approaches to fill the gap of knowledge in medicine safety in breastfeeding, as illustrated with our escitalopram example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelina Cardoso
- Service of Pharmacy, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Monia Guidi
- Service of Clinical Pharmacology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nina Nauwelaerts
- Drug Delivery and Disposition Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hedvig Nordeng
- Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, PharmaTox Strategic Initiative, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Karel Allegaert
- Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy,erasmus MC, Rotterdam, GA, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Smits
- Child and Youth Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peggy Gandia
- Laboratory of Pharmacokinetics and Toxicology, Purpan Hospital, University Hospital of Toulouse
| | - Andrea Edginton
- School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Shinya Ito
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, ON, Canada
| | - Pieter Annaert
- Drug Delivery and Disposition Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alice Panchaud
- Service of Pharmacy, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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3
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Bromley RL, Bickle Graz M, Bluett-Duncan M, Chambers C, Damkier P, Dietrich K, Dolk H, Grant K, Mattson S, Meador KJ, Nordeng H, Oberlander TF, Ornoy A, Revet A, Richardson J, Rovet J, Schuler-Faccini L, Smearman E, Simms V, Vorhees C, Wide K, Wood A, Yates L, Ystrom E, Supraja TA, Adams J. Expert consensus on neurodevelopmental outcomes in pregnancy pharmacovigilance studies. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1094698. [PMID: 37332344 PMCID: PMC10270323 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1094698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Exposure in utero to certain medications can disrupt processes of fetal development, including brain development, leading to a continuum of neurodevelopmental difficulties. Recognizing the deficiency of neurodevelopmental investigations within pregnancy pharmacovigilance, an international Neurodevelopmental Expert Working Group was convened to achieve consensus regarding the core neurodevelopmental outcomes, optimization of methodological approaches and barriers to conducting pregnancy pharmacovigilance studies with neurodevelopmental outcomes. Methods: A modified Delphi study was undertaken based on stakeholder and expert input. Stakeholders (patient, pharmaceutical, academic and regulatory) were invited to define topics, pertaining to neurodevelopmental investigations in medication-exposed pregnancies. Experts were identified for their experience regarding neurodevelopmental outcomes following medicinal, substances of misuse or environmental exposures in utero. Two questionnaire rounds and a virtual discussion meeting were used to explore expert opinion on the topics identified by the stakeholders. Results: Twenty-five experts, from 13 countries and professionally diverse backgrounds took part in the development of 11 recommendations. The recommendations focus on the importance of neurodevelopment as a core feature of pregnancy pharmacovigilance, the timing of study initiation and a core set of distinct but interrelated neurodevelopmental skills or diagnoses which require investigation. Studies should start in infancy with an extended period of investigation into adolescence, with more frequent sampling during rapid periods of development. Additionally, recommendations are made regarding optimal approach to neurodevelopmental outcome measurement, comparator groups, exposure factors, a core set of confounding and mediating variables, attrition, reporting of results and the required improvements in funding for potential later emerging effects. Different study designs will be required depending on the specific neurodevelopmental outcome type under investigation and whether the medicine in question is newly approved or already in widespread use. Conclusion: An improved focus on neurodevelopmental outcomes is required within pregnancy pharmacovigilance. These expert recommendations should be met across a complementary set of studies which converge to form a comprehensive set of evidence regarding neurodevelopmental outcomes in pregnancy pharmacovigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. L. Bromley
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Manchester Academic Sciences Park, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - M. Bickle Graz
- Neonatology, Department Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - M. Bluett-Duncan
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Biology and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - C. Chambers
- Division of Environmental Science and Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - P. Damkier
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark and Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - K. Dietrich
- Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, Division of Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - H. Dolk
- Maternal, Fetal and Infant Research Unit, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - K. Grant
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - S. Mattson
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - K. J. Meador
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - H. Nordeng
- Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - T. F. Oberlander
- Department Pediatrics and School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - A. Ornoy
- Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - A. Revet
- INSERM University of Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - J. Richardson
- UK Teratology Information Service, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - J. Rovet
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - L. Schuler-Faccini
- Genetics Department, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - E. Smearman
- Department of Surgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - V. Simms
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - C. Vorhees
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - K. Wide
- Department of Pediatrics, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - A. Wood
- Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - L. Yates
- Northern Genetics Service, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom
- KRISP, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - E. Ystrom
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - T. A. Supraja
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences NIMHANS, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | - J. Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States
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AbuShweimeh R, Knudson S, Chaabane S, Pal SN, Skidmore B, Stergachis A, Bhat N. Pregnancy exposure registries for drugs and vaccines in low-income and middle-income countries: scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e070543. [PMID: 37156596 PMCID: PMC10174003 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Data regarding the safety of drugs and vaccines in pregnant women are typically unavailable before licensure. Pregnancy exposure registries (PERs) are an important source of postmarketing safety information. PERs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are uncommon but can provide valuable safety data regarding their distinct contexts and will become more relevant as the introduction and use of new drugs and vaccines in pregnancy increase worldwide. Strategies to support PERs in LMICs must be based on a better understanding of their current status. We developed a scoping review protocol to assess the landscape of PERs that operate in LMICs and characterise their strengths and challenges. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This scoping review protocol follows the Joanna Briggs Institute manual for scoping reviews. The search strategy will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews Checklist. We will search PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and WHO's Global Index Medicus, as well as the reference lists of retrieved full-text records, for articles published between 2000 and 2022 that describe PERs or other resources that systematically record exposures to medical products during pregnancy and maternal and infant outcomes in LMICs. Title and abstracts will be screened by two authors and data extracted using a standardised form. We will undertake a grey literature search using Google Scholar and targeted websites. We will distribute an online survey to selected experts and conduct semistructured interviews with key informants. Identified PERs will be summarised in tables and analysed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required for this activity, as it was determined not to involve human subjects research. Findings will be submitted to an open access peer-reviewed journal and may be presented at conferences, with underlying data and other materials made publicly available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahmeh AbuShweimeh
- School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sophie Knudson
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sonia Chaabane
- Regulation and Prequalification, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Shanthi Narayan Pal
- Regulation and Prequalification, World Health Organization, Geneve, Switzerland
| | - Becky Skidmore
- Independent Information Specialist, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andy Stergachis
- School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- School of Pharmacy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Niranjan Bhat
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Luo Y, Acevedo D, Baños N, Pluma A, Castellanos-Moreira R, Moreno E, Rodríguez-García S, Deyà-Martínez A, García-García A, Quesada-Masachs E, Torres M, Casellas M, Grados D, Martí-Castellote C, Antón J, Vlagea A, Juan M, Esteve-Solé A, Alsina L. Expected impact of immunomodulatory agents during pregnancy: A newborn's perspective. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2023; 34:e13911. [PMID: 36825745 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The neonatal immune ontogeny begins during pregnancy to ensure that the neonate is well-suited for perinatal life. It prioritizes Th2/M2 and regulatory responses over Th/M1 activity to avoid excessive inflammatory responses and to ensure immune tolerance and homeostasis. Newborns also present increased Th17/Th22 responses providing effective anti-fungal immunity and mucosal protection. Intrauterine exposure to immune modulatory drugs with the placental transfer may influence the natural course of the fetal immune development. The vertical transfer of both biological therapy and small molecules begins during the first trimester through neonatal Fc receptor or placental diffusion, respectively, reaching its maximum transfer potential during the third trimester of pregnancy. Most of the biological therapy have a prolonged half-life in newborn's blood, being detectable in infants up to 12 months after birth (usually 6-9 months). The use of immunomodulators during pregnancy is gaining global interest. Current evidence mainly reports birth-related outcomes without exhaustive analysis of the on-target side effect on the perinatal immune system ontogeny, the infection risk, or the immune dysregulation. The present review will focus on: (1) the main characteristics of the perinatal immune system to understand its specific features and vulnerabilities to immune modulation; (2) the mechanisms of placental transfer of immunomodulators; and (3) the immune changes reported to date in newborns exposed to immunomodulators with emphasis on the current concerns and gaps in knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Luo
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel Acevedo
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Baños
- BCNatal, Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetrícia i Neonatologia Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Pluma
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Estefania Moreno
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Angela Deyà-Martínez
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana García-García
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mireia Torres
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Casellas
- High Risk Obstetric Unit, Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Vall de Hebron Hospital Campus, Universitat Autónoma of Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dolors Grados
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitari d'Igualada, Igualada, Spain
| | - Celia Martí-Castellote
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Antón
- Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Pediatric Rheumatology, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alexandru Vlagea
- Immunology Department, Biomedic Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Clinical Immunology Unit Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Juan
- Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Immunology Department, Biomedic Diagnostic Center (CDB), Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Clinical Immunology Unit Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Esteve-Solé
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Alsina
- Clinical Immunology and Primary Immunodeficiencies Unit, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Clinical Immunology Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu-Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.,Study Group for Immune Dysfunction Diseases in Children (GEMDIP), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Jordan S, Bromley R, Damase-Michel C, Given J, Komninou S, Loane M, Marfell N, Dolk H. Breastfeeding, pregnancy, medicines, neurodevelopment, and population databases: the information desert. Int Breastfeed J 2022; 17:55. [PMID: 35915474 PMCID: PMC9343220 DOI: 10.1186/s13006-022-00494-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pharmacoepidemiology of the long-term benefits and harms of medicines in pregnancy and breastfeeding has received little attention. The impact of maternal medicines on children is increasingly recognised as a source of avoidable harm. The focus of attention has expanded from congenital anomalies to include less visible, but equally important, outcomes, including cognition, neurodevelopmental disorders, educational performance, and childhood ill-health. Breastfeeding, whether as a source of medicine exposure, a mitigator of adverse effects or as an outcome, has been all but ignored in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance: a significant 'blind spot'. WHOLE-POPULATION DATA ON BREASTFEEDING WHY WE NEED THEM: Optimal child development and maternal health necessitate breastfeeding, yet little information exists to guide families regarding the safety of medicine use during lactation. Breastfeeding initiation or success may be altered by medicine use, and breastfeeding may obscure the true relationship between medicine exposure during pregnancy and developmental outcomes. Absent or poorly standardised recording of breastfeeding in most population databases hampers analysis and understanding of the complex relationships between medicine, pregnancy, breastfeeding and infant and maternal health. The purpose of this paper is to present the arguments for breastfeeding to be included alongside medicine use and neurodevelopmental outcomes in whole-population database investigations of the harms and benefits of medicines during pregnancy, the puerperium and postnatal period. We review: 1) the current situation, 2) how these complexities might be accommodated in pharmacoepidemiological models, using antidepressants and antiepileptics as examples; 3) the challenges in obtaining comprehensive data. CONCLUSIONS The scarcity of whole-population data and the complexities of the inter-relationships between breastfeeding, medicines, co-exposures and infant outcomes are significant barriers to full characterisation of the benefits and harms of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. This makes it difficult to answer the questions: 'is it safe to breastfeed whilst taking this medicine', and 'will this medicine interfere with breastfeeding and/ or infants' development'?
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue Jordan
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK.
| | - Rebecca Bromley
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Christine Damase-Michel
- Faculté de Médecine, Center for Epidemiology and Research in POPulation Health (CERPOP), Université Toulouse III, CHU Toulouse INSERM, Pharmacologie Médicale, Toulouse, France
| | - Joanne Given
- Faculty Life & Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Co Antrim, Newtownabbey, N Ireland, UK
| | - Sophia Komninou
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Maria Loane
- Faculty Life & Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Co Antrim, Newtownabbey, N Ireland, UK
| | - Naomi Marfell
- Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Helen Dolk
- Faculty Life & Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Co Antrim, Newtownabbey, N Ireland, UK
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