Use of Methotrexate in Girls and Women of Childbearing Age, Occurrence of Methotrexate-Exposed Pregnancies and Their Outcomes in Germany: A Claims Data Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objective

Methotrexate should be withdrawn before pregnancy because of its teratogenic potential. We aimed to describe the use of methotrexate in women of childbearing age in Germany and the occurrence and outcomes of pregnancies exposed to methotrexate.

Methods

Using the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database (GePaRD, covering ~ 20% of the German population), we determined the age-specific and age-standardized prevalence of methotrexate use for each year between 2004 and 2019 among women aged 13-49 years (cross-sectional analyses). In a cohort analysis, we assessed the number and outcomes of pregnancies exposed to methotrexate in the critical time window. Exposure was defined as a dispensation overlapping with the onset of pregnancy or a dispensatio

SUBMITTER: Wentzell N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9902307 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature