Is metronidazole teratogenic? A meta‐analysis
- 1 August 1997
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
- Vol. 44 (2) , 179-182
- https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2125.1997.00660.x
Abstract
Aim In order to assess whether the use of metronidazole during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of congenital malformations, a meta‐analysis was conducted.Methods All epidemiological studies (cohort and case‐control) which estimate risk of congenital malformations after exposure to metronidazole during early pregnancy were included in the meta‐analysis. To obtain a summary odds ratio, the Mantel‐Haenszel method was used. A test to verify absence of heterogeneity was also performed.Results One unpublished case‐control and four published cohort studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were not statistically heterogeneous. A summary odds ratio was calculated for metronidazole exposure during the first trimester: OR=1.08, 95% CI: 0.90–1.29, heterogeneity test χ2=4.72, P=0.32.Conclusions This meta‐analysis did not find any relationship between metronidazole exposure during the first trimester of pregnancy and birth defects.Keywords
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