“”The number of women potentially exposed to NSAIDs remains very high“Clear the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) in a statement.
However, these drugs, which include painkiller widely used such as aspirin and ibuprofen, “can expose pregnant women at serious risks, which can lead to the death of the fetus“Recalls the agency.
In addition to possible miscarriages, these drugs can promote baby malformations, or complications to childbirth.
They are therefore absolutely contraindicated from the sixth month of pregnancy, a single take that can be devastating. Previously, they should only be used on prescription and doctors are called upon to favor paracetamol, which does not belong to this family of drugs.
For more than twenty years, the drug agency has regularly communicated on the risks associated with NSAIDs in pregnant women and their baby. However, it notes an always high use.
According to the reimbursement data of these treatments, 700,000 pregnant women were concerned between 2018 and 2023, including 26,000 from the sixth month of pregnancy. In addition, these figures are partial since they do not include purchases without a prescription.
From this observation, the drug agency asked the pharmaceutical laboratories to better explain the risks in the notices of these treatments, and in the “summary of the characteristics of the product” (RCP), that is to say information for caregivers.
A box inserted in the notices and RCPs (summary of product characteristics) for health professionals, will indicate “The counter indication from the 6th month of pregnancy, even after a single socket, due to the risk of fetal death“said the ANSM.