Data on ivermectin in pregnancy is very limited, but at this time it isn’t considered safe as it’s been associated with an increased risk of birth defects in animal models. It hasn’t been definitely proven to do the same in humans, but due to the above concerns, it’s typically avoided in pregnancy.

Ivermectin is a medication used to treat parasitic worms, onchocerciasis (river blindness), pinworms, scabies, mites, and lice. There are also formulations of the medication used for animals. Recently, it received a lot of attention due to claims that it could be used to prevent or treat COVID-19 (at this time, data suggests it isn’t effective against COVID-19).

For up-to-date information on the safety of medications in pregnancy, see www.reprotox.org ¹