Taking NSAIDs Around Conception May Increase Risk Of Early Miscarriage

BOSTON (CBS) - A popular group of over-the-counter pain relievers could increase your risk of miscarriage even before you get pregnant.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, and Aleve. They are medications that millions of people take every day for aches and pains and fever.

A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology looked at more than a thousand pregnant women and found that those who took NSAIDs around the time of conception were at a four-fold higher risk of having a miscarriage in the first eight weeks of pregnancy.

These drugs inhibit the production of a hormone which is required for the embryo to implant in the wall of the uterus. If that doesn't happen the pregnancy is lost.

Doctors often tell pregnant women to avoid NSAIDs, but perhaps women who are trying to conceive should avoid them as well.