Is It Safe To Take Metformin During Pregnancy?
Have you been asked to take Metformin during pregnancy? Are you worried that it may have undesirable side effects on you or your unborn baby? Well, good news – there is nothing to worry, as it is generally considered safe in pregnancy.
FDA categorizes this drug in the category B medicine, which means it is safe for consumption and you need not worry about any harm to the fetus. However, since it is a medicine, you must have a talk with your health care provider about its intake.
Pregnancy And Metformin:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorize this medicine in the B category, as it seems to cause no harm on fetus in animal studies. Since no studies have been conducted on pregnant humans, let’s have a closer look at metformin & pregnancy:
- Animals do not respond to medicines the way humans do; Thus risks of Metformin in pregnancy cannot be ruled out completely.
- Thus, it is important that you have a talk with your health care provider about the effects of its intake during pregnancy.
- Metformin is used generally for treatment of infertility, which is often carried on during pregnancy as well. Thus, you need to be sure to follow instructions of the healthcare provider at this stage.
[ Read: Nifedipine In Pregnancy ]
Effects Of Metformin In Pregnancy:
National Institute for Clinical Excellence states consumption of Metformin is safe when you are pregnant. Here we shall have a closer look at the effects of Metformin in pregnancy:
- If you are suffering from Type 2 diabetes and taking the medicine before pregnancy, it is generally considered safe.
- Women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) often get relief with Metformin treatment.
- Chances of miscarriage also reduce with intake of Metformin when pregnant.
- This medicine is also known to reduce risks of gestational diabetes.
[ Read: Labetalol In Pregnancy ]
Metformin And Diabetes:
Metformin deals with risks associated with maternal diabetes.
- Diabetes in the pre-pregnancy phase increased chances of babies developing birth defects like open spine defects and heart defects by about 4 times.
- When diabetes is controlled before and during pregnancy, the risks of birth defects get reduced significantly.
- Diabetes, if untreated, increases risks of still birth, miscarriage and other complications in the new born.
[ Read: Zofran Pregnancy Side Effects ]
March of Dimes [1] states that:
- Around 1 in every 100 women developed pre-gestational diabetes.
- Around 4 in every 100 women developed diabetes during pregnancy, called gestational diabetes.
[ Read: Steroids During Pregnancy ]
General Precautions To Be Followed:
As with taking any kind of medicinal drug, if you are taking Metformin, there are some precautionary measures you need to follow to ensure you are safe during pregnancy. Here is what you should do:
- If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, make sure to monitor your blood glucose level and follow a healthy dietary pattern.
- If you are prescribed Metformin in pregnancy, do not stop using it unless the doctor tells you.
- You may suffer from plenty of side effects if you stop taking Metformin suddenly.
- Uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to death as well.
- Since the FDA categorizes it in the B category, there are no negative side effects of taking it.
- If you are taking insulin together with Metformin, you may have to change the frequency or dose of Metformin to control blood sugar levels.
[ Read: Aspirin During Pregnancy ]
Clinical experiences and evidences published so far supports the efficiency and metformin safety during pregnancy. However, since you would not like to invite any complications, it is always better to have a word with your doctor about its safe consumption.
Moms, do let us know what you did to control diabetes in pregnancy and how you dealt with it in the comment section below.
Reference : 1
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