From the limited amount of data in human pregnancy, it is not possible to inform an associated increased risk of congenital malformations because epilepsy itself and the presence of concomitant antiepileptic medicinal products have their own risks. We have data on 223 pregnancy outcomes exposed to gabapentin and 223 unexposed pregnancies. The rates of major malformations were similar in both groups (p = 0.845). There was a higher rate of preterm births (p = 0.019) and low birth weight <2,500 g (p = 0.033) in the gabapentin group. Despite the fact that gabapentin (Neurontin) is now used in a wide variety of clinical settings -- for epilepsy, pain management, anxiety, sleep disturbance – there is relatively little information regarding its reproductive safety. A prospective study from researchers at the Motherisk program reports on the outcomes of 223 pregnancies exposed to gabapentin and 223 unexposed pregnancies. Five studies reported significant findings with increased risks of overall congenital anomalies, specific anomalies (nervous system, eyes, oro-facial clefs, urinary and genital system), miscarriage, stillbirth and specific neurodevelopmental outcomes after exposure to pregabalin during pregnancy. While gabapentin (Neurontin) is now used in a wide variety of clinical settings — for epilepsy, pain management, restless leg syndrome, anxiety, and sleep disturbance – there is relatively little information regarding its reproductive safety. Most recently, a prospective study from researchers at the Motherisk program reports on the outcomes of 223 pregnancies exposed to gabapentin Does taking gabapentin increase the chance of birth defects? Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Small, controlled studies on gabapentin have not suggested an increased chance of birth defects. We examined the risk of major congenital malformations and cardiac defects associated with gabapentin exposure during the first trimester (T1), and the risk of preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (NICUa) associated with gabapentin exposure early, late, or both early Does taking gabapentin increase the chance of birth defects? Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. Small, controlled studies on gabapentin have not suggested an increased chance of birth defects. A meta-analysis by Veroniki et al 2017a also did not suggest an increased risk of overall major congenital malformation with gabapentin use during pregnancy. However, gabapentin was found to be Selected References: Blotiere PO, et al. 2020. Risk of early neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with prenatal exposure to the antiepileptic drugs most commonly used during pregnancy: a French nationwide population-based cohort study. BMJ Open 10(6). Brannon GE, Rolland PD. Anorgasmia in a patient with bipolar disorder type 1 treated with gabapentin. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000;20(3):379 All pregnant women in the UK will be offered a very detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. No extra monitoring for major birth defects is required following gabapentin use in pregnancy. Babies exposed to gabapentin before delivery may experience withdrawal symptoms for a few days after birth. Does taking gabapentin in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems? Pregnancy-related problems, such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2500 grams] at birth) have been reported in some studies looking at the use of gabapentin during pregnancy. We examined the risk of major congenital malformations and cardiac defects associated with gabapentin exposure during the first trimester (T1), and the risk of preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (NICUa) associated with gabapentin exposure early, late, or both early We examined the risk of major congenital malformations and cardiac defects associated with gabapentin exposure during the first trimester (T1), and the risk of preeclampsia (PE), preterm There was an increased risk of preterm birth among women exposed to gabapentin either late (RR=1.28 [CI 1.08-1.52], p < 0.01) or both early and late in pregnancy (RR=1.22 [1.09-1.36], p < 0.001). We have data on 223 pregnancy outcomes exposed to gabapentin and 223 unexposed pregnancies. The rates of major malformations were similar in both groups (p = 0.845). There was a higher rate of preterm births (p = 0.019) and low birth weight <2,500 g (p = 0.033) in the gabapentin group. Studies which assessed rates of miscarriage or intrauterine death following gabapentin exposure in pregnancy do not identify an increased risk of these outcomes. Conflicting results regarding a possible increased risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight have been described in a small number of studies but these data may be confounded. Gabapentin is not generally recommended in pregnancy as there is not enough information about whether it's safe for your baby. However, from the small amount of information that is available, there's no clear evidence that it's harmful. We examined the risk of major congenital malformations and cardiac defects associated with gabapentin exposure during the first trimester (T1), and the risk of preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth (PTB), small for gestational age (SGA), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (NICUa) associated with gabapentin exposure early, late, or both early
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |