Vouching for the Fetal Safety of Neuraminidase Inhibitors During Pregnancy

Influenza infection during pregnancy can lead to severe maternal illness and fetal complications; hence, in the U.S. and Europe, neuraminidase inhibitors are recommended for treatment and occasionally for postexposure prophylaxis in pregnant women. However, in the absence of randomized trials of oseltamivir or zanamivir during pregnancy, safety data are limited. Investigators in Scandinavia and France conducted a population-based observational cohort study to evaluate neonatal outcomes in infants of some 5800 women who had received oseltamivir or zanamivir while pregnant and 692,000 women unexposed during pregnancy. Outcomes included low birthweight, low Apgar scores, preterm birth, neonatal mortality and morbidity, stillbirth, small for ge…