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New safety data for stimulant use during early pregnancy

January 22, 2018
  • Advising on this article:
  • M. Lynn Crismon

KEY POINT

Use of amphetamines may be a slightly safer option than methylphenidate during the first trimester of pregnancy, as methylphenidate was associated with a small increased risk of cardiac malformations whereas amphetamines were not, according to results of an observational study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

SOURCES

Huybrechts KF, et al. Association between methylphenidate and amphetamine use in pregnancy and risk of congenital malformations: A cohort study from the International Pregnancy Safety Study Consortium. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;[Epub ahead of print].

Cooper WO. Shedding light on the risks of methylphenidate and amphetamine in pregnancy. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;[Epub ahead of print].

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