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Is Maternal Use of Medicines during Pregnancy Associated with Deciduous Molar Hypomineralisation in the Offspring? A Prospective, Population-Based Study

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Abstract

Background

The effects of maternal use of medicines during pregnancy on tooth development has scarcely been studied; only negative effects of tetracycline on tooth germs are known (irreversible tooth discoloration and enamel hypoplasia).

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate whether antibacterials and anti-allergic and anti-asthma medicines, being the most frequently used medicines during pregnancy, are associated with deciduous molar hypomineralisation (DMH) and, if so, which specific medicines.

Materials and Methods

To clarify this possible association, the participants of the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life until young adulthood, were studied. Data on medicine use during pregnancy were retrieved from pharmacies. Clinical photographs of the second primary molars, which were scored for DMH, were taken with an intra-oral camera in 6,690 children (mean age 6.2 years, standard deviation [SD] ± 0.53; 49.9 % girls).

Results

During pregnancy, 20.3 % of the mothers used antibacterials, 12.3 % anti-asthma medicines and 5.4 % anti-allergic medicines. The prevalence of DMH was 9.0 % in the study group. There was no association between the use of anti-asthma medicines, anti-allergic medicines (odds ratio [OR]: 0.97 [95 % CI 0.61–1.54]; OR: 1.04 [0.54–2.03]) or antibacterials (OR: 0.73 [0.49–1.09]) during pregnancy and DMH (all p-values >0.05). The study had sufficient power (80 %) to detect significant associations.

Conclusion

Maternal use of antibacterials, anti-allergic medicines or anti-asthma medicines during pregnancy is not associated with the development of DMH in the offspring.

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Acknowledgments

The Generation R study was conducted by the Erasmus Medical Centre in close collaboration with the following: Erasmus University, Rotterdam; School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences, Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, Rotterdam; Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, Rotterdam; and Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR), Rotterdam. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of general practitioners, hospitals, midwives and pharmacies in Rotterdam. Furthermore, we acknowledge the help of Mrs. J. Wierenga-Visser for setting up the database for pharmacy data. The first phase of the Generation R Study was made possible by financial support from the Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Erasmus University, Rotterdam and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). The present study was supported by an additional and unrestricted grant from GABA, Therwil, Switzerland and financial support from the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The authors have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cariology, Endodontology and Pedodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Marlies E. C. Elfrink, Jacob M. ten Cate & Jaap S. J. Veerkamp

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Centre-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Henriette A. Moll & Vincent W. V. Jaddoe

  3. The Generation R Study Group Erasmus Medical Centre-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Jessica C. Kiefte-de Jong, Hanan El Marroun & Vincent W. V. Jaddoe

  4. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Centre-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Hanan El Marroun

  5. Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Vincent W. V. Jaddoe, Albert Hofman & Bruno H. Stricker

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Bruno H. Stricker

  7. Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Bruno H. Stricker

  8. Inspectorate of Healthcare, The Hague, The Netherlands

    Bruno H. Stricker

Authors
  1. Marlies E. C. Elfrink
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  2. Henriette A. Moll
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  3. Jessica C. Kiefte-de Jong
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  4. Hanan El Marroun
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  5. Vincent W. V. Jaddoe
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  6. Albert Hofman
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  7. Bruno H. Stricker
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  8. Jacob M. ten Cate
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  9. Jaap S. J. Veerkamp
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marlies E. C. Elfrink.

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Elfrink, M.E.C., Moll, H.A., Kiefte-de Jong, J.C. et al. Is Maternal Use of Medicines during Pregnancy Associated with Deciduous Molar Hypomineralisation in the Offspring? A Prospective, Population-Based Study. Drug Saf 36, 627–633 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40264-013-0078-y

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