Methylphenidate or Atomoxetine Maintenance Safe During Pregnancy
Maintenance of methylphenidate or atomoxetine may be safe during pregnancy, according to recent systematic review and meta-analysis results published in JAMA Network Open.
“Methylphenidate and atomoxetine intake during pregnancy were not associated with higher frequencies of congenital anomalies or miscarriages in this meta-analysis,” authors noted.
Related: When It Comes to ADHD in Women, There's Still So Much to Learn
Researchers searched PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO for articles published through December 31, 2023. They included observational studies that reported offspring outcomes in pregnancies with atomoxetine and/or methylphenidate, in pregnancies with mothers with ADHD but not receiving ADHD treatment, and from the general population as a control. Data was analyzed from January to March 2024.
A total of 10 studies involving 16,621,481 pregnant women were included; 30,830 of participants had ADHD. Congenital anomalies or miscarriages were not more frequent in offspring of mothers receiving treatment with methylphenidate or atomoxetine during pregnancy compared with unexposed offspring (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.83-1.55; P = .41; I2 = 8% for congenital anomalies; OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.70-1.47; P = .96; I2 = 0% for miscarriages) or compared with the general population (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.93-1.53; P = .16; I2 = 74% for congenital anomalies; OR, 1.05, 95% CI, 0.81-1.37; P = .70; I2 = 0% for miscarriage).
Researchers noted that the definition of what is a congenital anomaly isn’t specific and could range between studies, which may limit study results.
“Even if results are prudentially comforting, further studies are needed to support pregnant women with ADHD in facing a comfortable pregnancy, possibly maintaining the well-being they receive from treatments for their disorder, and avoiding relapses,” authors concluded.
