No risk of birth defects: Use of Progesterone safer in first trimester than Dydrogesterone, claims DEBC Study

The researchers detailed the establishment of the DEBC study, revealing that 30.70% of the 112,986 pregnant women involved reported drug use during the first trimester. Among these drugs, dydrogesterone and progesterone were the most frequently used, with exposure rates of 11.97% and 10.82%, respectively. Overall, the study observed an incidence rate of 13.49% for adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The researchers stressed the importance of weighing the risks of using medication against the potential dangers of not using it. They explained, "For example, untreated preeclampsia in pregnant women significantly increases the risk of seizures, which can harm both the mother and fetus. In contrast, careful use of anti-epileptic medication can lower this risk. Similarly, our study found that dydrogesterone use was associated with a lower risk of miscarriage or abortion."

They also mentioned the importance of balancing the risks and benefits when considering medication accounting for the timing and dosage. However, research on how different medication regimens (including various drugs, doses, and durations) affect maternal and fetal outcomes is still limited. Future studies will explore these aspects more thoroughly, using data from this cohort.

"Future studies should focus on stratified analysis based on specific maternal diseases and investigation of the connections between medications during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes, accounting for exposure timings, durations, routes, and doses," the researchers concluded.

Reference: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49623-0