[Drugs use in pregnancy in the Valencia Region and the risk of congenital anomalies].

BACKGROUND

Despite the potential risks of drug use during pregnancy, consumption has increased in recent decades.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the risk of congenital anomalies (CA) associated with the use of drugs in primary care in pregnant women residents in the Valencia Region.

METHODS

A case-control study, considering a case as a less than one year old live birth in 2009-2010, diagnosed with a CA and resident in the Valencia Region, obtained from the CA population-based registry. Controls were selected from the Metabolic Disease Registry, and the drugs prescribed and dispensed from the Integral Management of Pharmaceutical Services. Crude odds ratio (OR) was calculated with its 95% confidence intervals and adjusted OR was calculated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 1,913 cases and 3,826 controls were identified. The most frequently used drug groups were those acting on the musculoskeletal, nervous and respiratory systems, on the blood and blood forming organs, and anti-infection drugs. The most common drugs used were ibuprofen, dexketoprofen, paracetamol, amoxicillin, ferrous sulphate, and a combination of folic acid. A significantly increased risk of CA was identified for drugs acting on the musculoskeletal system (adjusted OR 1.14 [95% confidence interval 1.02-1.28]). A significantly decreased risk was observed for drugs acting on the blood and blood forming organs (adjusted OR 0.87 [95% confidence interval 0.78-0.98]).

CONCLUSIONS

Associations between drugs and CA in pregnant women resident in the Valencia Region have been identified for drugs that act as risk factors of CA, and for drugs that act as protective factors of CA.