Objective: To evaluate the risk of adverse perinatal events among newborns exposed to dipyrone during gestation.
Design and setting: The present study is a secondary analysis of Brazilian study of gestational diabetes (EBDG), a cohort of women attended at healthcare units of the Brazilian national health system (SUS) located in six Brazilian state capitals, between February 1991 and June 1995.
Sample: A total number of 5,564 women aged 20 years and over who were between their 21st and 28th week of pregnancy were followed up.
Methods: A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on the pregnant women, their pregnancies, and their use of medications. Other data and the outcomes congenital abnormalities, intrauterine death, preterm birth, or low birth weight were obtained from the medical records. To estimate the odds ratios after adjustment for the potential confounding factors, logistic regression modeling was developed.
Main outcome measures: Congenital abnormalities, intrauterine death, preterm birth, and low birth weight.
Results: Dipyrone use was reported by 555 pregnant women (11.5%). Their exposure to this medication did not present any association with the outcomes of congenital abnormalities (OR 1.11; 95% CI, 0.58-2.10), intrauterine death (OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.33-1.43), preterm birth (OR 0.94; 95% CI, 0.73-1.20), or low birth weight (OR 0.88; 95% CI, 0.64-1.22), in the crude analysis. This absence of associations was maintained after performing logistic regression analysis.
Conclusions: The data suggest that the exposure to dipyrone during pregnancy does not increase the risk of congenital abnormalities and other adverse events as outcomes from pregnancy.