Study conclusions:

Quoted from the published study:

"The risk of all major birth defects following first-trimester exposure to sumatriptan was 4.6% (95% CI 2.9-7.2%). This coupled with a consistent failure of additional epidemiological studies to observe a signal for major teratogenicity gives a level of reassurance concerning the safety of sumatriptan in pregnancy. There are too few data on naratriptan to draw definitive conclusions, and the sample size for sumatriptan remains too small to detect any but very large increases in specific birth defects."

Summary and comments:

According to the CDC, the prevalence of major birth defects in the United States is 4%. The data examined here seems to indicate that exposure to Imitrex / sumatriptan doesn't raise that figure by a very significant amount. For naratriptan, there is insufficient data to draw any conclusions.

If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, this is good information to discuss with your doctor. The journal article with more complete data is referenced below, so your doctor can also get additional information.

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Resources:

Cunnington, Marianne, PhD; Ephross, Sara, PhD; Churchill, Paige, BA. "The safety of Sumatriptan and Naratriptan in Pregnancy: What Have We Learned." Headache 2009;49:1414-1422. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2009.01529.x.

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© Teri Robert, 2009. Last updated November 30, 2009.