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First trimester exposure to cefuroxime: a prospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Berkovitch Matitiahu,
SegalSocher Idit,
Greenberg Revital,
Bulkowshtein Mordechai,
Ar Judy,
Merlob Paul,
OrNoy Asher
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2125.2000.00240.x
Subject(s) - cefuroxime , medicine , pregnancy , confidence interval , obstetrics , relative risk , prospective cohort study , gestation , abortion , cohort study , gestational age , rate ratio , antibiotics , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
AimsThere are no published studies on the safety of cefuroxime use during pregnancy. We therefore investigated prospectively the possible teratogenic effect of intrauterine exposure to cefuroxime.MethodsOne hundred and six women who received cefuroxime during the first trimester of pregnancy were recruited from three teratogen information centres in Israel. Exposed women were paired for age, smoking habits and alcohol consumption with references being exposed to nonteratogenic antibiotics administered for the same indications.ResultsMaternal history, birthweight, gestational age at delivery, rates of live births, spontaneous abortions and fetal distress were comparable among the two groups. Rates of major malformations in the cefuroxime group (3.2%) did not differ from references (2%) ( P = 0.61, relative risk = 1.56, 95% confidence interval 0.27–9.15). There was a significantly higher rate of induced abortions among the cefuroxime exposed women as compared to the references ( P = 0.04, relative risk = 3.33, 95% confidence interval 0.94–11.77).ConclusionsOur data may suggest that exposure to cefuroxime during the first trimester is probably not associated with an increased risk for malformations or spontaneous abortions; however, in light of the small sample size and the broad confidence limits, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.