Proton-Pump Inhibitors Safe During Early Pregnancy

First-trimester exposure to PPIs — and use of omeprazole within the month before pregnancy — did not significantly raise risk for major congenital birth defects.

As many as 3% of women use proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) for gastroesophageal reflux before or during pregnancy. Although results of a small meta-analysis suggested that antenatal PPI use does not raise risk for congenital malformations in offspring (Am J Gastroenterol 2009; 104:1541), no large population-based study has confirmed this finding. Now, Danish investigators have used national healthcare databases to link PPI prescription fill rates with 840,968 live births and with records of major congenital malformations from 1996 through 2008. Analyses were adjusted for several potentially confounding demographic factors, medical conditions, and drug exposures.

Risk for major birth defects did not differ significantly for infants who were exp…

Reviewing Author

Wendy S. Biggs, MD

Proton-Pump Inhibitors Safe During Early Pregnancy

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Reviewing Author