THE SAFETY OF NITROFURANTOIN DURING THE FIRST TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY - METAANALYSIS

Asymptomatic bacteriuria is common during pregnancy and may adversely affect both the mother and her fetus. Nitrofurantoin (NF) has been lon g recognized as an effective agent in both nonpregnant and pregnant wo men suffering from urinary tract infections. This meta-analysis was co nducted in order to evaluate the safety of NF ingested during early pr egnancy. Of twenty-two studies, only four met the inclusion criteria a nd their analysis could not demonstrate any significant correlation be tween NF ingestion and fetal malformation. The pooled odds ratio was 1 .29 with 95% confidence interval 0.25-6.57. Although the number and qu ality of the studies included are limited, we thought it important to present the existing data. More extensive controlled studies are urgen tly needed in order to increase the significance of our study.