A new study claims that the use of weight-loss injections during the period surrounding pregnancy does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth defects.
Hot Topics
About half of Libyans drink contaminated water What is the scientific reason?
Mauritania's blue treasure is in danger Will the map of fish in the Atlantic be redrawn?
The Citrus Secret Everyone's Talking About: Burn More, Crave Less & Feel Great Naturally
Researchers from City St George’s University in London analyzed data from more than two million pregnancies, as part of a systematic review of ten studies, including data from 8,325 women who used weight-loss drugs during the six months before or after a positive pregnancy test.
The researchers found that the use of these medications was not associated with a significantly increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects, premature birth, or gestational diabetes. They also did not observe an increased risk of babies being born underweight or overweight compared to pregnancies in which the mothers did not use these medications.
Professor Asma Khalil, an expert in maternal-fetal medicine and the lead author of the study, said the findings carry a reassuring message for women who discover they were using these drugs before knowing they were pregnant.
She explained that doctors are seeing an increasing number of women who become pregnant while using drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, and discovering the use of these drugs before knowing about the pregnancy may be a source of great concern for them.
However, Khalil stressed the need for women to continue following current recommendations to stop using these injections before planning a pregnancy, until more data becomes available.
Official guidelines recommend against using these drugs during pregnancy or in the two months prior to trying to conceive, due to insufficient data on their effects on the fetus.
The researchers also cautioned against considering the study's results as conclusive evidence of the safety of using these drugs throughout pregnancy, explaining that the study relied on observational data that does not prove a causal relationship, and that most of the participating women did not use the injections throughout their pregnancy.
Professor Tricia Tan, an endocrinologist at Imperial College London, welcomed the findings but called for further studies, particularly on the effects of high doses of these drugs during pregnancy.
Common weight-loss medications in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class include semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (marketed as Mongaro). These drugs were originally developed to help control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes before becoming widely used to treat obesity and promote weight loss.
The study was published in the journal Cell Press.
what is your opinion on this news ?do let us know in the comments on tha comment box
if you liked this news article please share on friends & family & don't forget to follow on website & social media