Safety of oral ivermectin during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Publication date: January 2020Source: The Lancet Global Health, Volume 8, Issue 1Author(s): Patricia Nicolas, Marta F Maia, Quique Bassat, Kevin C Kobylinski, Wuelton Monteiro, N Regina Rabinovich, Clara Menéndez, Azucena Bardají, Carlos ChaccourSummaryBackgroundAbout 3·7 billion doses of ivermectin have been distributed in mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns globally over the past 30 years. At 10–100 times higher than current human doses, ivermectin is a known teratogen in mammals. During these campaigns with recommended doses, pregnant women might be inadvertently exposed. We therefore aimed to evaluate the existing evidence for serious and non-serious adverse events after ivermectin exposure in pregnant women.MethodsFor this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched relevant databases and trial registry platforms on July 15, 2018, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies that reported adverse events in pregnant women. We did not use language or date restrictions. Outcomes of interest were spontaneous abortions, stillbirths, congenital anomalies, and neonatal death (serious adverse events), as well as maternal morbidity, preterm births, and low birthweight (adverse events). The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for RCTs. We did the meta-analysis of observational studies and RCTs separately. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE appro...
Source: The Lancet Global Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research