Maternal progestin intake increases hypospadias risk

New data from The National Birth Defects Prevention Study provide additional evidence that pregnancy-related intake of progestins is associated with increased hypospadias risk. Study results are published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2005; 159:957-62).

The population-based, multistate, case-control study included deliveries that had estimated due dates from October 1997 to December 2000. It consisted of 71% case mothers and 68% control mothers, along with 502 subjects diagnosed with second- or third-degree hypospadias and 1,286 male, live-born, nonmalformed controls.

Forty-two case mothers (8%) and 31 control mothers (2.4%) reported pregnancy-related progestin intake from 4 weeks before through 14 weeks after conception, resulting in an odds ratio of 3.7 (95% confidence interval). Analysis stratified by several covariates also suggested elevated risk: among the 10 cases and 13 controls who did not report fertility-related procedures or treatments other than progestins, the odds ratio was 2.2 (95% CI). Progestin intake for contraception purposes did not appear to be associated with increased risk of hypospadias.