Historical cohort study of in utero exposure to uterotonic drugs and cognitive function in young adult life (Reprinted from BMJ, vol 318, pg 433-4, 1999)

Objective To examine whether in utero exposure to uterotonic drugs effects cognitive performance in draft-age men. Design Historical cohort study base d on birth registry data and cognitive function measured during evaluations fur military service. Subjects 4300 Danish conscripts born between 1973 an d 1975, Main outcome measures Mean score in the Boerge Prien test of cognit ive function: score is the number of correct answers to 78 questions and co rrelates with the full scale intelligence quotient. Results The mean Boerge Prien score was similar for those exposed (n = 1011) to uterotonic drugs a nd those net exposed (n = 3289), 43.1 versus 42.3 after adjustment for conf ounders. Conclusion Our data indicate that exposure to uterotonic drugs doe s not affect cognitive function 20 years later.