Polypharmacy during pregnancy and associated risk factors: a retrospective analysis of 577 medication exposures among 1.5 million pregnancies in the UK, 2000-2019.
Anuradhaa SubramanianAmaya Azcoaga-LorenzoAstha AnandKatherine PhillipsSiang Ing LeeNeil CockburnAdeniyi Francis FagbamigbeChristine Damase-MichelChristopher YauColin McCowanDermot O'ReillyGillian SantorelliHolly F HopeJonathan Ian KennedyKathryn Mary AbelKelly-Ann EastwoodLouise LocockMairead BlackMaria A LoaneNgawai MossRachel PlachcinskiShakila ThangaratinamSinead BrophyUtkarsh AgrawalZoe VowlesPeter BrocklehurstHelen DolkCatherine Nelson-PiercyKrishnarajah Nirantharakumarnull nullPublished in: BMC medicine (2023)
The prevalence of polypharmacy during pregnancy has increased over the past two decades and is particularly high in younger and older women; women with high BMI, smokers and ex-smokers; and women with multimorbidity, higher gravidity and higher levels of deprivation. Well-conducted pharmaco-epidemiological research is needed to understand the effects of multiple medication use on the developing foetus.