Background
Methods
Design and data source
Study population
Medication categories
Statistical analysis
Results
Baseline characteristics
Variable | All pregnancies | Pregnancies of women with multimorbidity |
---|---|---|
Number of pregnancies | (n=812,354) | (n=139,471) |
Age, years, n (%) | ||
15–19 | 68,741 (8.46) | 6344 (4.55) |
20–24 | 151,734 (18.68) | 22,575 (16.19) |
25–29 | 225,289 (27.73) | 37,982 (27.23) |
30–34 | 232,213 (28.59) | 42,468 (30.45) |
35–39 | 113,694 (14) | 24,537 (17.59) |
40–44 | 19,480 (2.4) | 5080 (3.64) |
45–49 | 1203 (0.15) | 485 (0.35) |
BMI, kg/m2, n (%) | ||
Underweight (<18.5) | 28,295 (3.48) | 5079 (3.64) |
Normal weight (18.5–24.9) | 358,371 (44.12) | 58,746 (42.12) |
Overweight (25–29.9) | 164,972 (20.31) | 31,156 (22.34) |
Obese (>30) | 114,889 (14.14) | 28,986 (20.78) |
Missing | 145,827 (17.95) | 15,504 (11.12) |
Ethnicity, n (%) | ||
White | 376,454 (46.3) | 69,104 (49.6) |
Black | 21,343 (2.6) | 4905 (3.5) |
South Asian | 22,597 (2.8) | 3445 (2.5) |
Mixed race | 4300 (0.5) | 677 (0.5) |
Other race | 12,745 (1.6) | 2468 (1.8) |
Ethnicity data missing | 374,915 (46.2) | 58,872 (42.2) |
Smoking status, n (%) | ||
Non-smoker | 440,868 (54.3) | 68,644 (49.2) |
Ex-smoker | 113,620 (14.0) | 23,663 (17.0) |
Smoker | 209,927 (25.8) | 43,634 (31.3) |
Smoking status missing | 47,939 (5.9) | 3530 (2.5) |
Gravidity, n (%) | ||
1 | 243,736 (30.0) | 34,083 (24.4) |
2 | 222,309 (27.4) | 34,763 (24.9) |
3 | 153,286 (18.9) | 27,182 (19.5) |
4 | 88,844 (10.9) | 17,826 (12.8) |
5+ | 104,179 (12.8) | 25,617 (18.4) |
Country, n (%) | ||
England | 522,802 (64.7) | 87,511 (62.7) |
Northern Ireland | 42,278 (5.2) | 8127 (5.8) |
Scotland | 145,258 (17.9) | 25,336 (18.2) |
Wales | 102,016 (12.6) | 18,497 (13.3) |
IMD | ||
1 (most deprived) | 219,238 (26.99) | 38,260 (27.43) |
2 | 169,268 (20.84) | 27,983 (20.06) |
3 | 153,936 (18.95) | 26,904 (19.29) |
4 | 133,756 (16.47) | 22,659 (16.25) |
5 (least deprived) | 136,156 (16.76) | 23,665 (16.97) |
Number of pre-existing comorbidities, mean (SD) | 1.35 (1.48) | 3.49 (1.47) |
Polypharmacy prevalence
Annual polypharmacy prevalence trend
Commonly prescribed medications
Period | All pregnancies | Pregnancies of women with multimorbidity | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Medication categories | % of pregnancies prescribed | Medication categories | % of pregnancies prescribed | |
First trimester | (n=812,354) | (n=139,471) | ||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 6.6% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 15.2% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 4.5% | Selective beta 2 agonists | 11.3% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | 4.3% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 10.0% | |
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 4.1% | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 9.1% | |
Selective beta 2 agonists | 3.9% | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | 6.7% | |
Topical corticosteroids | 3.3% | Topical corticosteroids | 6.3% | |
Compound alginate preparations | 3.3% | Thyroid hormones | 5.9% | |
Oral iron | 3.2% | Compound alginate preparations | 5.4% | |
Products used against nausea and vertigo | 2.8% | Corticosteroids (for respiratory conditions) | 4.8% | |
Cephalosporins | 2.6% | Products used against nausea and vomiting | 4.7% | |
Entire pregnancy | (n=774,247) | (n=132,391) | ||
Oral iron | 30.3% | Oral iron | 32.5% | |
Compound alginate preparations | 19.1% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 26.0% | |
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 18.8% | Compound alginate preparations | 24.7% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | 17.6% | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | 23.5% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 11.9% | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 19.7% | |
Topical corticosteroids | 8.4% | Selective beta 2 agonists | 18.4% | |
Cephalosporins | 7.5% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 17.4% | |
Selective beta 2 agonists | 7.3% | Topical corticosteroids | 13.7% | |
Osmotic laxatives | 7.0% | Osmotic laxatives | 11.4% | |
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 4.9% | Cephalosporins | 10.4% |
Commonly prescribed pairs of medications
Period | All pregnancies | Pregnancies of women with multimorbidity | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Top 10 pairwise combinations prescribed | Top 10 pairwise combinations prescribed | Top 10 pairwise combinations prescribed for two different long-term conditions | ||||
Combinations of medication categories | % of pregnancies prescribed | Combinations of medication categories | % of pregnancies prescribed | Combinations of medication categories | % of pregnancies prescribed | |
First trimester | (n=812,354) | (n=139,471) | ||||
Corticosteroids (for respiratory conditions) | 1.2% | Corticosteroids (for respiratory conditions) | 3.4% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 1.8% | |
Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 0.8% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 2.2% | Topical corticosteroids | 1.4% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 0.8% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 2.1% | Corticosteroids used in nasal allergy | 1.3% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 0.7% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 1.8% | Non-sedating antihistamines | 1.3% | |
Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Emollient skin preparations | 0.6% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 1.8% | Proton pump inhibitors | 1.1% | |
Topical corticosteroids | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | ||||
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 0.5% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 1.7% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 1.0% | |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Topical corticosteroids | ||||
Non-opioid and compound analgesics selective | 0.5% | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 1.5% | Corticosteroids in chronic bowel problems | 1.0% | |
Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | Selective beta 2 agonists | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Compound alginate preparations | 0.5% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 1.5% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 0.8% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Thyroid hormones | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 0.4% | Emollient skin preparations | 1.4% | Non-sedating antihistamines | 0.7% | |
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | Topical corticosteroids | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | ||||
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 0.4% | Selective beta 2 agonists | 1.4% | Emollient skin preparations | 0.7% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Topical corticosteroids | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Entire pregnancy | (n=774,247) | (n=132,391) | ||||
Compound alginate preparations | 7.2% | Compound alginate preparations | 9.7% | Selective beta 2 agonists | 3.7% | |
Oral iron | Oral iron | Topical corticosteroids | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 6.7% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 9.5% | Selective beta 2 agonists | 3.2% | |
Oral iron | Oral iron | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | ||||
Oral iron | 6.4% | Oral iron | 8.9% | Corticosteroids used in nasal allergy | 3.1% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 5.2% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 8.5% | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | 2.3% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Topical corticosteroids | ||||
Compound alginate preparations | 4.7% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 7.8% | Corticosteroids in chronic bowel problems | 2.3% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Compound alginate preparations | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 4.7% | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 7.7% | Non-sedating antihistamines | 2.2% | |
Compound alginate preparations | Oral iron | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 4.6% | Compound alginate preparations | 7.5% | Emollient skin preparations | 2.1% | |
Oral iron | Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Selective beta 2 agonists | ||||
Broad-spectrum penicillins | 3.9% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 7.4% | Proton pump inhibitors | 1.8% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) | ||||
Compound alginate preparations | 3.7% | Broad-spectrum penicillins | 7.1% | Corticosteroids (for respiratory conditions) | 1.7% | |
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Selective beta 2 agonists | Topical corticosteroids | ||||
Non-opioid and compound analgesics | 3.2% | Compound alginate preparations | 7.0% | Corticosteroids used in nasal allergy | 1.6% | |
Preparations for vaginal and vulval candidiasis | Non-opioid and compound analgesics | Topical corticosteroids |