Research
Study links early-pregnancy doxycycline use to higher risk of pregnancy loss
Doxycycline use for respiratory infections in early pregnancy was associated with higher pregnancy-loss risk in both claims databases, but the observational study cannot establish causation.
A cohort study found that doxycycline use during early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of pregnancy loss than alternative antibiotics. The findings were published in Annals of Internal Medicine, according to Medical Xpress.
For respiratory tract infections, the adjusted risk ratio compared with amoxicillin was 1.40 (95% CI 1.28-1.53) in Medicaid data and 1.54 (95% CI 1.41-1.68) in commercial MarketScan data, MedPage Today reported. The association also appeared when doxycycline was compared with macrolides in both databases, the researchers reported.
For acne, pregnancy-loss risk was higher with doxycycline than topical clindamycin in commercial insurance data, but not Medicaid data. The study’s observational findings do not establish that doxycycline caused pregnancy loss, Medical Xpress noted. The researchers said clinicians and patients may want to weigh potential risks against benefits when considering doxycycline.
