Use of isotretinoin among girls and women of childbearing age and occurrence of isotretinoin-exposed pregnancies in Germany: A population-based study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Exposure to isotretinoin during pregnancy must be avoided due to its teratogenicity, but real-world data on its use are scarce. We aimed to describe (i) isotretinoin use in women of childbearing age in Germany; (ii) the occurrence of isotretinoin-exposed pregnancies; and (iii) malformations among children exposed in utero.

Methods and findings

Using observational data from the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (GePaRD, claims data from approximately 20% of the German population), we conducted annual cross-sectional analyses to determine age-standardized prevalence of isotretinoin use between 2004 and 2019 among girls and women aged 13 to 49 years. In cohort analyses, we estimated the number of exposed pregnancies by assessing whether there was presc

SUBMITTER: Reinold J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10810459 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature