Studies Examine Morning Sickness Drug, Progesterone Use To Prevent Premature Birth

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 15 Jun 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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The following summarizes news coverage on two pregnancy-related studies.

~ Morning sickness: The commonly prescribed heartburn drug metoclopramide -- sold generically and under the brand-names Reglan, Octamide and Maxolon -- can be used to treat morning sickness without harming the health of the fetus, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, Time reports. The drug, which also has anti-nausea properties, is not FDA-approved for use in pregnant women in the U.S., though it is commonly prescribed in European and other countries to treat morning sickness (Park, Time, 6/10). According to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. physicians occasionally prescribe metoclopramide to treat severe morning sickness cases. The new study found that there were no statistically significant differences between infants born to women who took metoclopramide and those who did not. Researchers said that the findings "provide reassurance regarding the safety of metoclopramide for the fetus when the drug is given to women to relieve nausea and vomiting during pregnancy." The study involved 81,703 births among women enrolled in Israel's largest health HMO, including 33,458 who used the drug (Maugh, Los Angeles Times, 6/11). Jennifer Niebyl, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Iowa, said, "There are very few drugs approved for use in the first trimester of pregnancy. But this study could lead to metoclopramide getting approved to treat morning sickness because this is good data with big numbers" (Time, 6/10).

~ Progesterone: The hormone progesterone was not effective at preventing premature births among women pregnant with twins, despite evidence suggesting its effectiveness at preventing premature births in single pregnancies, according to a University of Edinburgh study published in the journal Lancet, Reuters reports. Multiple pregnancies have a larger health risk for women and significantly increase the likelihood of miscarriage, premature birth and long-term health problems. The study involved 500 women who took either progesterone or a placebo daily for 10 weeks. Although previous studies have shown that progesterone might prevent premature birth in certain high-risk pregnancies, the new findings show the treatment did not reduce the likelihood of premature delivery or a fetus dying in utero in twin pregnancies. Twenty-five percent of women delivered or had a fetus die before 34 weeks in the progesterone group, compared with 20% in the placebo group (Kahn, Reuters, 6/10).

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