LTRA Use in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review on their Safety and Association with Congenital Anomalies

This systematic study seeks to assess the safety of Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists (LTRAs) and their connection with congenital abnormalities during pregnancy. Asthma is a chronic airway illness marked by inflammation and airflow restriction, and LTRAs are frequently used to treat it. Five papers were chosen for analysis after conducting a complete literature search. The findings indicate that LTRAs, such as montelukast and zafirlukast, do not represent a major teratogenic risk and are unlikely to be linked to congenital abnormalities. Infants exposed to LTRAs during prenatal development may have a slightly higher risk of congenital cardiac abnormalities. Additional research is required to ascertain the safety of LTRAs during pregnancy by pharmacokinetic and post marketing surveillance, as well as to examine the long-term developmental consequences of LTRAs. Patients with asthma who are pregnant may benefit from alternative asthma treatments such as omalizumab, beta2-agonists, and glucocorticoids. Taken cautiously and under medical supervision, LTRAs seem to be a good therapy choice for asthma during pregnancy.

Keywords: Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists (LTRAs), Pregnancy, Asthma, Congenital Abnormalities, Montelukast, Zafirlukast, Congenital, Cardiac Abnormalities, Omalizumab, Beta2-agonists, Long-term Developmental Consequences