Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2018 Nov;61(6):649-654. 10.5468/ogs.2018.61.6.649.

Isotretinoin exposure in pregnant women in Korea

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hanjungyeol055@gmail.com
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ilsin Christian Hospital, Busan, Korea.
  • 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Miz Women's Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
  • 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mam's Women's Hospital, Ulsan, Korea.
  • 5Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
  • 6Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
Isotretinoin is a notorious teratogen otherwise used for the treatment of acne vulgaris. Some countries, including those in North America and the European Union, implemented the pregnancy prevention program (PPP); however, no PPP has yet been established in South Korea. So the aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of pregnant women exposed to isotretinoin among the callers of the Korean Mother Safe Counseling Center.
METHODS
This is a prospective cohort study. We evaluated the demographic characteristics, obstetric history, and isotretinoin exposure of pregnant women based on the mother safe registry from April 2010 to July 2016.
RESULTS
Among 22,374 callers, 650 (2.9%) pregnant women were exposed to isotretinoin. The mean age was 29.0±4.4 years in the isotretinoin-exposed group and 32.0±4.2 years in the unexposed group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the incidence of pregnancies within 30 days after isotretinoin discontinuation or during isotretinoin intake was 78.9% (513/650). The median duration of isotretinoin exposure was 18 (1-4,231) days. Furthermore, from 2011 to 2015, the incidence of isotretinoin exposure was 2.9±1.2 pregnancies per 10,000 births in South Korea.
CONCLUSION
Approximately 80% of pregnant women are exposed to isotretinoin within the recommended 30 days of contraception or during pregnancy. Therefore, the PPP has to be established in South Korea.

Keyword

Pregnancy; Isotretinoin; Teratogen

MeSH Terms

Acne Vulgaris
Cohort Studies
Contraception
Counseling
European Union
Female
Humans
Incidence
Isotretinoin*
Korea*
Mothers
North America
Parturition
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women*
Prospective Studies
Isotretinoin

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Duration of isotretinoin exposure.

  • Fig. 2 Number of isotretinoin-exposed pregnant women versus number of Korean births by year (2011–2015). SD, standard deviation.


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J Korean Soc Matern Child Health. 2019;23(4):209-219.    doi: 10.21896/jksmch.2019.23.4.209.

Non-compliance with pregnancy prevention recommendations for isotretinoin in Korea between 2019–2020
Eun Jeong Choi, Jung Yeol Han
Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2021;64(2):201-208.    doi: 10.5468/ogs.20247.

The rates of major malformations after gestational exposure to isotretinoin: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Eun Jeong Choi, NaeRy Kim, Ho-Seok Kwak, Hae Ji Han, Kyoung-Chul Chun, Young-Ah Kim, Jae-Whoan Koh, Jung Yeol Han, Sung Hong Joo, Ji Sung Lee, Gideon Koren
Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2021;64(4):364-373.    doi: 10.5468/ogs.20373.

Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes after periconceptional exposure to isotretinoin in Koreans
Eun-Hwan Cha, NaeRy Kim, Ho-Seok Kwak, Hae Ji Han, Sung Hong Joo, June-Seek Choi, Kyoung-Chul Chun, Young-Ah Kim, Jae-Whoan Koh, Jung Yeol Han
Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2022;65(2):166-175.    doi: 10.5468/ogs.21354.


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