Identifying Maternal Conditions Leading to Gabapentinoid Prescriptions in Pregnancy Using Electronic Health Records from Six European Countries: A Contribution from the IMI ConcePTION Project

Our study provides valuable insights into gabapentinoid use during pregnancy, with anxiety being the most common condition among pregnant women with gabapentinoid prescriptions in Finland, Italy, Spain, and Wales, whereas neuropathic pain predominated in France and Norway. Moreover, we found that between 3 and 23% of these pregnancies were associated with substance abuse, underscoring the need for careful prescribing of commonly abused medicines. The proposed methods for detecting maternal conditions leading to prescribing will facilitate accurate assessment of medication use and safety during pregnancy, whilst addressing confounding by indication.