Gabapentinoids are initially approved to treat epilepsy, but in recent years the use has extended to other conditions. A new systematic review from the ConcePTION project has highlighted potential risks associated with gabapentinoid use during pregnancy, emphasizing possible negative effects on both pregnancies and on the long-term health of newborn children.
Gabapentinoids, including Gabapentin and Pregabalin, were initially approved to treat epilepsy. Today, these drugs are mainly prescribed for conditions like neuropathic pain and generalized anxiety disorder. In recent years, their use during pregnancy has increased, particularly in the UK, raising concerns as these drugs are known to cross the placental barrier. However, there are limited publications and contradictory results regarding their effects on the fetus or child.
A recent systematic review, published in the Therapies journal, looked at 27 high-quality studies, some of which identified adverse outcomes linked to gabapentinoid exposure during pregnancy. Some of the key findings on Pregabalin include an increased risk of overall birth defects, or congenital anomalies, and certain specific anomalies in the nervous system, eyes, ocular, oro-facial clefts and the genitals, miscarriage, stillbirth, and neurodevelopmental issues. For Gabapentin, the review identified higher risks of preterm birth, preeclampsia, infants who were born small for the time (or gestational age) and admissions to neonatal intensive care.
“The findings from this systematic review, combined with animal data, raise concerns about the safety of using gabapentinoids during pregnancy. The benefit-risk balance for both mother and fetus or infant should be carefully evaluated if the use of these medications cannot be avoided during pregnancy,” says Dr Anna-Belle Beau, Toulouse University Hospital, CERPOP-SPHERE Team, Inserm UMR 1295, Toulouse University, and co-author of the study.
Do you want to know more? Read the study: Beau A-Belle, Mo J, Moisset X, Bénévent J, Damase-Michel C, Systematic review of gabapentinoid use during pregnancy and its impact on pregnancy and childhood outcomes: a ConcePTION study, Therapies (2024), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.therap.2024.10.049
By Fanny Klingvall