US study links doxycycline to higher risk of pregnancy loss — Live Science

A study based on data from two US insurance databases linked the use of the antibiotic doxycycline in the first trimester of pregnancy to a higher risk of pregnancy loss compared with several other antibiotics. The drug is widely used to treat acne, respiratory infections, chlamydia and syphilis, Live Science reports .

Data from two insurance databases The authors of the study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed 224,870 pregnancies among patients aged 12 to 55. More than 218,230 participants were treated for respiratory infections, while more than 6,630 were treated for acne during the period from conception to the end of the first trimester.

About 4,385 participants received a prescription for doxycycline during this period, while others were prescribed alternative antibiotics. Among patients with respiratory infections, the risk of pregnancy loss in the doxycycline group was 40–54% higher than among those taking amoxicillin.

Compared with macrolides, which include azithromycin, the difference was 39% and 36% in the two databases, respectively. More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram . Results for acne treatment Among patients prescribed antibiotics for acne, doxycycline was associated with a 49% higher risk of pregnancy loss compared with clindamycin in one of the databases.

In the second database, this difference was not statistically significant. The study's first author, Almut Winterstein, suggested that this could have been related to the smaller number of patients in the respective analysis. Overall, the researchers estimated that doxycycline was associated with seven to 11 additional cases of pregnancy loss per 100 pregnancies compared with the other antibiotics considered.

At the same time, the study is observational in nature and therefore does not prove that the drug itself caused such cases. Possible mechanism not established The mechanism behind the possible link has not yet been determined. Animal experiments suggest that doxycycline may affect early placental development, and the authors also allow for a direct effect on the embryo, but these explanations have not been confirmed in humans.

Winterstein advised doctors to weigh the benefits and risks when prescribing doxycycline to pregnant people or those planning pregnancy. In cases of severe infections, this drug may in some instances remain the best treatment option.