Doxycycline use in early pregnancy associated with higher risk of pregnancy loss

A recent study analyzing insurance claims data from the University of Florida found that women who used doxycycline during early pregnancy for respiratory tract infections or acne were at a higher risk of experiencing pregnancy loss. The retrospective, active-comparator cohort study examined 218,234 pregnancies from women with respiratory tract infections and 6,636 pregnancies from women with acne.

Researchers compared women who took doxycycline in the first trimester with similar women who received alternative treatments like amoxicillin and macrolides for respiratory tract infections, and topical clindamycin for acne.

In the respiratory tract infection group, women taking doxycycline had a higher risk of pregnancy loss compared to those on alternative antibiotics. However, in the acne group, the association between doxycycline use and pregnancy loss was only observed in the commercial claims database, not in the Medicaid database. This suggests that the increased risk for pregnancy loss may be influenced by factors other than the antibiotic itself, such as socioeconomic status or access to healthcare.

The findings highlight the importance of weighing the potential benefits and risks of doxycycline treatment during early pregnancy. While the study does not establish a definitive causal relationship, it does provide valuable data for clinicians and patients to consider when making decisions about antibiotic use during pregnancy. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and was conducted by researchers from the University of Florida.