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Correlation Use Drugs For Heartburn And The Percentage Of Birth Defects Of Children – Part 2 of 3

The authors of the unknown study used linked databases to glean information on almost 841000 babies born in Denmark from 1996 through 2008, as well as on the babies’ mothers’ use of PPIs during pregnancy. PPI use by hopeful women was the highest between 2005 and 2008, when about 2 percent of fetuses were exposed, but exposure during the critical first trimester was less than 1 percent.

pregnant

Babies were followed until they were one year old. The comparison of babies with birth defects hovered at about 3 percent in both groups – 3,4 percent of those who had been exposed to a PPI in utero, and 2,6 percent for unexposed babies.

In an unexpected finding, there was a 39 percent increased jeopardize of major birth defects among children whose mothers had taken PPIs in the month before conception, a finding the authors are attributing to either unlooked-for or to another factor, perhaps the reason the mother was taking the medication in the first place. This could have been infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes most ulcers.

In addition to Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium, the authors also looked at Aciphex (rabeprazole) and Protonix (pantoprazole). Prilosec was the only downer not associated with an increase in birth defects when taken during the month before conception, leading the editorial author to suggest this drug as a first line of treatment.

Parts: 1 2 3