Ibuprofen doubles risk of miscarriage

Taking the painkiller ibuprofen in early pregnancy may more than double a woman's risk of miscarriage, a new study suggests.

Canadian scientists found that women who took any type and any dose of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had a 2.4 times greater risk of miscarriage compared to women who took none.

Researchers at the University of Montreal investigated the risk of miscarriage associated with the NSAIDS naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, and celecoxib in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

They looked at 4705 cases of miscarriage in women aged 15 to 45, and found that 352 (7.5%) of the women had taken NSAIDs during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, or two weeks prior to the start of pregnancy.

The results were compared with a control group of 47,050 women who did not miscarry. In this group, just 1213 (2.6%) had taken NSAIDS.

The highest risk of miscarriage was associated with the painkiller diclofenac. The risk of miscarriage did not appear to be linked to the dose of the NSAID taken.

Study author Dr. Anick Bérard, from the University of Montreal, said: "The use of nonaspirin NSAIDs during early pregnancy is associated with statistically significant risk (2.4-fold increase) of having a spontaneous abortion.

"We consistently saw that the risk of having a spontaneous abortion was associated with gestational use of diclofenac, naproxen, celecoxib, ibuprofen and rofecoxib alone or in combination, suggesting a class effect."

Dr Virginia Beckett, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: "This study adds to the research base surrounding miscarriage however it does not look at other factors which may increase a woman’s chance of having a miscarriage such as smoking and weight gain.

"It is important that any woman before conception and during pregnancy plans their pregnancy and reduces their risk of any complications through maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

"It is safe to take paracetamol during pregnancy, however, if a woman takes a NSAID the risk of miscarriage is still very low."

The study is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

This article was published on Wed 7 September 2011