Abstract

GUTIERREZ-CASTRELLON, Pedro et al. Systematic review of the safety and efficacy of the combination of doxylamine + pyridoxine for the treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Perinatol. Reprod. Hum. [online]. 2012, vol.26, n.4, pp.158-166. ISSN 2524-1710.

More than 80% of the pregnant women, in one moment of the gestation have nausea and vomiting, than can produce important complications like deshydratation, hospital internment, and affectation of the quality of life. There are controversies about the safety of the combination of doxylamine + pyridoxine for the treatment of the nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of doxylamine + pyridoxine for the treatment of NVP using the methodological tool of a systematic review. Materials and methods: For the systematic review we include case-control studies, cohort's studies, and controlled trials, performed in pregnant women with NVP and that were treatment with doxylamine + pyridoxine. We considered the number of congenital defects as the principal outcome variable. We made the systematic review using the following data bases: PubMed (1966 to may 2009), Embase (1988 to may 2009), LILACS (1990 to may 2009), ARTEMISA (review of the 11^a edition to December 2004), Cochrane controlled trials register, Bandolier y DARE. The statistical analysis was made with the calculation of relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) with the Mantel-Hanezel model. Results: There was no risk increase of congenital defects in children born of women with NVP treated with the combination of doxylamine + pyridoxine. The RR identified for all congenital defects was 0.97(IC95% de 0.92 a 1.02), p = 0.168; for cardiovascular defects the RR was 0.92 (CI95% 0.80-1.05), for neural tube defects the RR was 0.99 (CI95% 0.78-1.26), and for urinary defects the RR was 0.99 (CI95% 0.8-1.20). The administration of doxylamine + pyridoxine reduced the risk of NVP persistence with a RR of 0.55 (CI95% 0.41-0.74), p < 0.01). Conclusions: The systematic review showed that the administration of doxylamine + pyridoxine has a beneficial effect on the reduction of NVP manifestations, with a high safety to be used during pregnancy.

Keywords : Doxylamine + pyridoxine; pregnancy; congenital defects.

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