Risk of stillbirth from medications, illnesses and medical procedures

Maternal over-the-counter analgesics use during pregnancy and adverse perinatal outcomes: cohort study of 151 141 singleton pregnancies

OBJECTIVES

To identify any associations between in utero exposure to five over-the-counter (non-prescription) analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin, diclofenac, naproxen) and adverse neonatal outcomes.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study using the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank.

PARTICIPANTS

151 141 singleton pregnancies between 1985 and 2015.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Premature delivery (<37 weeks), stillbirth, neonatal death, birth weight, standardised birthweight score, neonatal unit admission, APGAR score at 1 and 5 min, neural tube and amniotic band defects, gastroschisis and, in males, cryptorchidism and hypospadias.

RESULTS

83.7% of women taking over-the-counter analgesics reported first trimester use when specifically asked about use at their first antenatal clinic visit. Pregnancies exposed to at least one of the five analgesics were significantly independently associated with increased risks for premature delivery <37 weeks (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.50, 95% CI 1.43 to 1.58), stillbirth (aOR=1.33, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.54), neonatal death (aOR=1.56, 95% CI 1.27 to 1.93), birth weight <2500 g (aOR=1.28, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.37), birth weight >4000 g (aOR=1.09, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.13), admission to neonatal unit (aOR=1.57, 95% CI 1.51 to 1.64), APGAR score <7 at 1 min (aOR=1.18, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.23) and 5 min (aOR=1.48, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.62), neural tube defects (aOR=1.64, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.47) and hypospadias (aOR=1.27, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.54 males only). The overall prevalence of over-the-counter analgesics use during pregnancy was 29.1%, however it rapidly increased over the 30-year study period, to include over 60% of women in the last 7 years of the study. This makes our findings highly relevant to the wider pregnant population.

CONCLUSIONS

Over-the-counter (non-prescription) analgesics consumption during pregnancy was associated with a substantially higher risk for adverse perinatal health outcomes in the offspring. The use of paracetamol in combination with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs conferred the highest risk. The increased risks of adverse neonatal outcomes associated with non-prescribed, over-the-counter, analgesics use during pregnancy indicate that healthcare guidance for pregnant women regarding analgesic use need urgent updating.

Modifiable risk factors for stillbirth: a literature review

A stillbirth is defined as an infant born weighing 500 g and/or more or at a gestational age of 24 weeks who shows no signs of life. Having a stillborn baby has a wide range of consequences that can affect parents, family and the healthcare professionals involved. Several risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of stillbirth: including maternal medical factors, maternal characteristics, fetal factors, sociodemographic factors and behavioral factors. The aim of this work is to review the literature on risk factors that have a behavioral component. The main behaviors modulating the risk of stillbirth that have been more widely studied in the literature include use of substances (smoking, alcohol, illicit drugs and medical drugs), weight management, attendance at antenatal care and sleeping position. There is evidence in the literature that supports that all those behaviors have an impact on the risk of stillbirth, especially in the cases of smoking and drugs consumption during the pregnancy. Hence, more research is needed to establish interventions targeting these behaviors as preventive measures to reduce the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes.

Analgesic use - prevalence, biomonitoring and endocrine and reproductive effects

Paracetamol and NSAIDs, in particular acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) and ibuprofen, are among the most used and environmentally released pharmaceutical drugs. The differences in international trends in the sale and consumption of mild analgesics reflect differences in marketing, governmental policies, habits, accessibility, disease patterns and the age distribution of each population. Biomonitoring indicates ubiquitous and high human exposure to paracetamol and to salicylic acid, which is the main metabolite of acetylsalicylic acid. Furthermore, evidence suggests that analgesics can have endocrine disruptive properties capable of altering animal and human reproductive function from fetal life to adulthood in both sexes. Medical and public awareness about these health concerns should be increased, particularly among pregnant women.

Systematic review and meta-analyses: fever in pregnancy and health impacts in the offspring

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Fever during pregnancy has been suspected to harm the developing fetus. However, until now, no systematic analysis of the available evidence has been undertaken to assess the impact of maternal fever on health outcomes in the child. The goal of this study was to systematically review evidence from epidemiologic studies on adverse health outcomes of the offspring in relation to exposure to maternal fever during pregnancy.

METHODS

Systematic searches in PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were performed by using Medical Subject Headings, Boolean operators, and truncation, and references of references were reviewed. Cohort and case-control studies addressing health outcomes of prenatal fever exposure in humans were eligible for inclusion. Studies with no direct reference to fever, studies in selected populations (eg, preterm births), and studies published before 1990 were excluded.

RESULTS

The available literature supported an increased risk of adverse offspring health in association with fever during pregnancy. The strongest evidence was available for neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, and oral clefts, in which meta-analyses suggested between a 1.5- and nearly 3-fold increased risk with fever exposure in the first trimester. We did not find strong evidence of a dose-response relationship, but there was some evidence that antipyretic medications may have a protective effect when used in relation to febrile episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

We found substantial evidence to support the contention that maternal fever during pregnancy may negatively affect offspring health. The harmful effects seemed to cover both short- and longer-term health outcomes; however, for several outcomes, the evidence was insufficient to judge any association.

Acetaminophen and pregnancy: short- and long-term consequences for mother and child

Counter-intuitively, over-the-counter medication is commonly taken by pregnant women. In this context, acetaminophen (APAP, e.g. Paracetamol, Tylenol) is generally recommended by physicians to treat fever and pain during pregnancy. Thus, APAP ranks at the top of the list of medications taken prenatally. Insights on an increased risk for pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth or fetal malformations upon APAP exposure are rather ambiguous. However, emerging evidence arising from human trials clearly reveals a significant correlation between APAP use during pregnancy and an increased risk for the development of asthma in children later in life. Pathways through which APAP increases this risk are still elusive. APAP can be liver toxic and since APAP appears to freely cross the placenta, therapeutic and certainly toxic doses could not only affect maternal, but also fetal hepatocytes. It is noteworthy that during fetal development, the liver transiently functions as the main hematopoietic organ. We here review the effect of APAP on metabolic and immunological parameters in pregnant women and on fetal development and immune ontogeny in order to delineate novel, putative and to date underrated pathways through which APAP use during pregnancy can impair maternal, fetal and long term children's health. We conclude that future studies are urgently needed to reconsider the safety and dosage of APAP during pregnancy and - based on the advances made in the field of reproduction as well as APAP metabolism - we propose pathways, which should be addressed in future research and clinical endeavors.

Safety of ultrasonography in pregnancy: WHO systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

In the context of the planned International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology-World Health Organization multicenter study for the development of fetal growth standards for international application, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety of human exposure to ultrasonography in pregnancy.

METHODS

A systematic search of electronic databases, reference lists and unpublished literature was conducted for trials and observational studies that assessed short- and long-term effects of exposure to ultrasonography, involving women and their fetuses exposed to ultrasonography, using B-mode or Doppler sonography during any period of pregnancy, for any number of times. The outcome measures were: (1) adverse maternal outcome; (2) adverse perinatal outcome; (3) abnormal childhood growth and neurological development; (4) non-right handedness; (5) childhood malignancy; and (6) intellectual performance and mental disease.

RESULTS

The electronic search identified 6716 citations, and 19 were identified from secondary sources. A total of 61 publications reporting data from 41 different studies were included: 16 controlled trials, 13 cohort and 12 case-control studies. Ultrasonography in pregnancy was not associated with adverse maternal or perinatal outcome, impaired physical or neurological development, increased risk for malignancy in childhood, subnormal intellectual performance or mental diseases. According to the available clinical trials, there was a weak association between exposure to ultrasonography and non-right handedness in boys (odds ratio 1.26; 95% CI, 1.03-1.54).

CONCLUSION

According to the available evidence, exposure to diagnostic ultrasonography during pregnancy appears to be safe.

What over-the-counter preparations are pregnant women taking? A literature review

AIM

This paper presents an overview of current literature relating to over-the-counter and herbal preparations use, with a focus on pregnancy.

BACKGROUND

Internationally, there has been a shift towards self-medication through over-the-counter release of many prescription-category drugs and wider acceptance and use of herbal preparations. The general community perception that these preparations are safe may lead to inappropriate use, especially during pregnancy.

METHOD

A range of databases was searched to identify papers addressing 'over-the-counter preparations/medications', 'non-prescription medications', 'herbal preparations' and 'pregnancy', including Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing, Allied Health Literature, Proquest and Sciencedirect. Midwifery, nursing and scientific papers published from 2000 onwards were included, along with a small number of scientific papers published from 1995 onwards, and some key textbooks to clarify the definitions.

FINDINGS

Pregnant women use a range of over-the-counter preparations, including analgesics, antihistamines, antacids and a variety of herbal preparations. However, in many cases, it is unclear whether their use is actually safe in the short- or long-term for mother or baby, owing to an inadequate evidence-base to support the use of these preparations during pregnancy.

CONCLUSION

While there is extensive literature on the use of over-the-counter preparations generally, less is available about their use in pregnancy. Further research is needed to explore the prevalence of use and effects of these preparations in pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, and to support midwives and nurses in harm minimization through the promotion of informed risk-avoidance behaviours.

Case review: septic shock in the pregnant patient

This case study involves a 36-year-old female at 15 weeks gestation who presented with severe lower abdominal pain post amniocentesis and subsequently deteriorated into a state of septic shock whilst in the ED. The circumstances surrounding this patient's presentation and subsequent clinical course are presented. The assessment and management of septic shock is also described with specific consideration to this patient's pregnant state.

Methodologic considerations for population-based research on fetal deaths: overcoming data gaps

Fetal deaths comprise a large component of perinatal mortality and remain an understudied pregnancy outcome, especially from a population perspective. Interpretation of the findings from clinical or community-based studies can be difficult without a clear understanding of fetal death at the population level. This article addresses the critical data gaps underlying population-based research on fetal deaths, including the magnitude and scope of the problem, the probability of occurrence, the populations at risk, and the importance of accounting for prior reproductive history. Suggestions are given for new avenues of population-based research such as prospective inquiry of couples attempting pregnancy and newer analytic and modeling strategies for assessing risk and for addressing the lack of independence in pregnancy outcomes.