European Catholicism

The finding of this small study looking to see if there's a connection between failure of the emergency contraception pill (the progestin-only one) and adverse neonatal or pregnancy outcomes--no association--isn't remarkable. The affiliation of the study's author is:

Failure of levonorgestrel as emergency contraception is not associated with adverse neonatal or pregnancy outcomes, according to a report in the August issue of Fertility and Sterility.

Although the results stem from a small study, "we believe that periconceptional exposure to this drug does not warrant a voluntary abortion for fear of teratogenic risk, such as after an inadvertent exposure to other sex steroidal drugs in the same period," lead author Dr. Marco De Santis, from the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Rome, and colleagues note.

The study involved 36 pregnant women who were exposed to levonorgestrel and 80 unexposed controls. A total of 25 deliveries took place in the exposed group and 69 occurred in the nonexposed group.

Rates of spontaneous and medical abortion were not significantly different between the groups. Pregnancy and neonatal complications were uncommon and of similar frequency in each group. No ectopic pregnancies were seen in either group.

Neonates in the exposed group were of comparable weight and length to those in the unexposed group and were not at increased risk for malformations.

The researchers conclude that the data "showed that there is no increased risk of congenital anomalies or adverse pregnancy outcomes that is caused by the failure of levonorgestrel."

Fertil Steril 2005;84:296-299.