Infertile daughters by taking ibuprofen in pregnancy?

Experts are studying the effects of taking ibuprofen in pregnancy

Ibuprofen is a painkiller that is widely used. In pregnancy expectant mothers should rather abstain from ibuprofen. Not only does it reduce the pain in pregnant women, it also has a negative effect on the fertility of unborn daughters. A French team of researchers has now found that taking ibuprofen during pregnancy may result in female offspring being infertile.

INSERM's reproductive physicians found in their recent research that taking ibuprofen during pregnancy may lead to infertility of the daughter. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Human Reproduction".

The use of painkillers can lead to health problems. Especially in pregnancy, the use of painkillers should be avoided. (Image: Sherry Young / fotolia.com)

Many women take ibuprofen during pregnancy

In studying human ovarian tissue, the scientists found the first evidence that exposure to ibuprofen could damage the fertility of future offspring. The analgesic is widely used and is taken by one in three women during pregnancy.

Already two days of ingestion seem to trigger fertility problems

When fetuses are exposed to the drug, they develop a dramatic loss of germ cells, which form follicles and determine how many eggs a woman can release in her lifetime. Taking the tablets for only two days during pregnancy already sufficient to possibly cause fertility problems in subsequent female children, explain the doctors. There have also been previous studies that have shown that the analgesic ibuprofen may possibly lead to male infertility.

Ibuprofen passes unhindered into the bloodstream of the unborn child

The so-called placental barrier does not appear to inhibit ibuprofen. When women took the drug during pregnancy, ibuprofen could also be found in the umbilical cord blood at the same concentration as in the blood of the expectant mother herself. In other words, ibuprofen is also found in the same concentration in the baby's bloodstream after taking it.

The effects of taking ibuprofen on children

The negative impact on unborn children occurs two to seven days after taking the usual daily dose, say the authors. Thus, embryonic precursors of egg cells are destroyed in a very large number. The division of many cells was severely limited. The scientists found in their study that depending on the dose and the duration of the intake up to half of the so-called primordial germ cells are destroyed. Another disadvantage of taking the painkiller was that even after the withdrawal of ibuprofen, the damaged cells recovered only in small numbers.

How does the reduced number of oocytes affect the body??

Girls are born with a finite number of follicles in their ovaries, and this number defines their future reproductive capacity as adults, explains study author Dr. Séverine Mazaud-Guittot from INSERM in a press release. Taking the remedy for pain relief in the first six months of pregnancy seems to greatly reduce the supply of eggs in the ovaries of future daughters. The amount of eggs also decreases in the course of life naturally. But there is usually a sufficient supply of oocytes until the onset of menopause. A smaller number of oocytes can cause an early menopause or infertility.

Even a short intake of ibuprofen can have far-reaching consequences

Exposure to ibuprofen for a period of only two to seven days drastically reduces the germinal cell stock in human fetal ovaries during the first trimester of pregnancy, explain the physicians. And the ovaries do not seem to recover completely from this damage. This suggests that prolonged ibuprofen exposure during fetal life may lead to long-term fertility effects, say the experts. This raises concern about the consumption of ibuprofen in women during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy. Shorter treatment cycles of less than two days would probably lead to less damage to the ovarian reserve, researchers suggest.

Take ibuprofen in later pregnancy?

For example, the NHS advises pregnant women not to take the drug for the first six months, as the intake has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. If pain relief is required in the first six months of pregnancy, it is advised to take acetaminophen. The lowest effective dose is recommended for the shortest possible time. Pregnant women are categorically advised not to take ibuprofen even in late pregnancy due to an increased risk of complications. In Germany leaflets, midwives and doctors warn pregnant women that the effective painkiller in later pregnancy phases can definitely lead to malformations. At best, expectant mothers will not take painkillers during pregnancy.

185 killed human fetuses were used for the experiments

The study, which also involved researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Copenhagen, included samples from a total of 185 dead human fetuses aged seven to twelve weeks. In these the physicians cultivated the ovarian tissue in the laboratory and exposed a part of the tissue ibuprofen. This is the first study to examine the effects of ibuprofen on girls' ovarian tissue and the first study shows that ibuprofen can overcome the placental barrier during the first trimester of pregnancy and expose the fetus to the drug, the authors explain.

Further research is needed

Of course, there are also some experts who were not involved in the study who believe that the results of the study must be confirmed by further research to analyze the long-term consequences of taking ibuprofen. In general, pregnant women should discuss the use of medicines with a doctor to determine the personal risks and benefits, advise the doctors. (As)