Risk of pre-term births and major birth defects resulting from paternal intake of COVID-19 medications prior to conception.
Silvia RizziMaarten Jan WensinkRune Lindahl-JacobsenLu TianYing LuMichael EisenbergPublished in: Research square (2020)
For azithromycin and naproxen, large numbers of offspring were exposed (> 1800 offspring), and we found no association with adverse birth outcomes. For chloroquine, losartan and dexamethasone, exposure was intermediate (~ 900 offspring), and there was no statistically significant association with birth defects. For hydroxychloroquine and prednisone, exposure was limited (< 300 offspring). There is strong evidence that azithromycin and naproxen are safe with respect to pre-term birth and birth defects. With some caution, the other drugs investigated can be considered safe.