Is the anti-nausea drug metoclopramide safe for use while pregnant?
Background In various countries, metoclopramide is the antiemetic drug of choice in pregnant women, but insufficient information exists regarding its safety in pregnancy. Methods We investigated the safety of metoclopramide use during the first trimester of pregnancy by linking a computerized database of medications dispensed between January 1, 1998, and March 31, 2007, to all women registered in the Clalit Health Services, southern district of Israel, with computerized databases containing maternal and infant hospital records from the district hospital during the same period. We assessed associations between the use of metoclopramide in pregnancy and adverse outcomes for the fetus, adjusting for parity, maternal age, ethnic group, presence or absence of maternal diabetes, smoking status, and presence or absence of peripartum fever. Results There were 113,612 singleton births during the study period. A total of 81,703 of the infants (71.9%) were born to women registered in Clalit Healt
According to an Israeli study, the metoclopramide drug – used largely for treating gastrointestinal (GI) problems in pregnant women, to combat the nausea or morning sickness symptoms – is safe for use during pregnancy, as it does not increase in the risk of premature delivery, birth defects, low birth weight or fetal death.
