Study finds ibuprofen may double the risk of miscarriage

WOMEN who take any amount of ibuprofen in early pregnancy could have more than double the risk of miscarriage, research suggests.

A class of painkillers known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase the risk of miscarriage in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, experts said.

Previous studies have shown inconsistent results when examining the effect of NSAIDs on pregnancy.

The new study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), examined several commonly used NSAIDs including ibuprofen, naproxen and diclofenac.

The research found that women who took any type, and any dose, of NSAID had a 2.4 times higher risk of miscarriage than those who did not use any.

Overall, 4,705 cases of miscarriage were analysed, of which 352 (7.5%) involved women taking NSAIDs.

Women in the entire sample were aged 15 to 45, and they were compared with women of a similar age who did not suffer a miscarriage (of which 2.6% had been exposed to NSAIDs).

The highest risk was for diclofenac when used alone, while the lowest was for a drug called rofecoxib, which was withdrawn in 2004 over safety concerns.

Dr Anick Berard, from the University of Montreal, who worked on the study, said: “The use of non-aspirin NSAIDs during early pregnancy is associated with statistically significant risk (2.4-fold increase) of having a spontaneous abortion.”

Earlier this year a study found taking NSAIDs daily carried a small increased risk of heart attack and stroke.