Anti-fungal drug tied to higher miscarriage risk

New research suggests a commonly used drug to treat yeast infections is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage if it’s used during pregnancy. About 10 percent of pregnant women experience yeast infections, and while topical treatments are often the first option, some receive an anti-fungal pill called fluconazole. Researchers looked at data on more than 441,000 pregnancies in Quebec from 1998 to 2015 and found women who took fluconazole in early pregnancy were more likely to experience a miscarriage. A high dose of the drug during the first trimester was also associated with a higher risk of a certain heart defect. Those findings line up with results from two cohort studies in Denmark, but the authors of the new paper say there’s a need for more research on the possible link.