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The safety of cetirizine during pregnancy. A prospective observational cohort study
Corinna Weber-Schoendorfer1, Christof Schaefer
1Pharmakovigilanz- und Beratungszentrum Embryonaltoxikologie Berlin, Berlin Institute for Clinical Teratology and Drug Risk Assessment in Pregnancy, Spandauer Damm 130, Haus 10, 14050 Berlin, Germany. weber@embryotox.de
Objective:
To assess the safety of cetirizine during pregnancy.
Study Design:
A prospective observational cohort study with data of the Berlin teratology information center from 1992 until 2006. Pregnancy outcome was compared between a cohort of pregnant women exposed to cetirizine during the first trimester (n=196) and a control group not exposed to potential teratogens (n=1686).
Results:
Major birth defects were not more common in the study group than in the control group (OR 1.07; CI 0.21-3.59). We also compared the crude rate of spontaneous abortions (OR 0.97; CI 0.54-1.65), of preterm deliveries (OR 0.76; CI 0.35-1.5), and the birth weight of term newborns (p=0.13).
Conclusions:
This prospective observational study on cetirizine in pregnancy suggests that the use of cetirizine is relatively safe during the first trimester.
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