Prenatal Triptan Exposure Not Linked to Increased Neurodevelopmental Risk

Results from a nationwide Norwegian health registry study published in Neurology suggest that prenatal exposure to triptans—either alone or in combination with other preventive migraine medications—does not substantially increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), behavioral disorders, learning/intellectual disabilities, speech/language and developmental coordination disorders, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The study analyzed the pregnancies of 26,210 women with a history of migraine, including those who used triptans in the year before pregnancy (n=21,281) and those who did not (n=4929). Researchers also grouped participants by triptan exposure (level of use and when use was discontinued during pregnancy), both when used alone and combined with preventive medications:

• discontinuers before (low use) (41.5%, 47%)
• early discontinuers (short-term low use) (31.3%, 28.8%)
• late discontinuers (moderate use) (21.3%, 9.1%)
• late discontinuers (high use) (5.9%, 15.2%)

Checking registries for NDD diagnoses and following children for an average of 8 years and up to 14 years after birth, researchers found: 

• 1140 (4.3%) children were diagnosed with an NDD.
• Children with any triptan exposure had a marginally higher risk of NDD compared to those with no exposure (weighted hazard ratio [wHR]: 1.05–1.16), but these risks decreased to the null when compared to the discontinuers before (low use) group (wHR: 0.94–1.01).
• No increased risk was observed for specific outcomes such as ADHD or speech/language disorders (wHR: .82–1.14).
• A slightly elevated risk of autism was noted in late discontinuation groups (wHR 1.24, 95% CI [.78–1.97]; wHR 1.30, 95% CI [.66–2.56]), but the confidence intervals crossed the null, and absolute risk differences remained low.

The results show that prenatal triptan exposure does not meaningfully increase the risk of NDDs, and they support the continued use of triptans for migraine management during pregnancy when clinically indicated.

Source: Camanni M, van Gelder M, Cantarutti A, et al. Association of prenatal exposure to triptans, alone or combined with other migraine medications, and neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. Neurol. 2025;104(12):e213678. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000213678