Ivermectin taken at the start of pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes

A new study reveals that inadvertently taking ivermectin during the early stages of pregnancy does not appear to increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) analyzed data from two cluster-randomized trials in Mozambique and Kenya. The trials included 238 women who became pregnant within two weeks before or after receiving either ivermectin or albendazole, the latter serving as a comparator treatment.

Of these, 129 women were potentially exposed to ivermectin and 109 to albendazole. Among those with known pregnancy outcomes, adverse events like miscarriage, stillbirth, or major congenital anomalies occurred in 22.9% of the ivermectin group and 19.5% of the albendazole group. However, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant.

Co-principal investigator Carlos Chaccour emphasized that while the findings strengthen the evidence base on inadvertent ivermectin exposure in early pregnancy, the number of documented pregnancies remains too small to warrant changes to current recommendations against using ivermectin during pregnancy.