Can insulin-sensitizing medications such as metformin and the glitazones be taken during pregnancy?
It has been recognized for years that high glucose levels can have a detrimental effect on the growing fetus and most doctors would suggest diet and/or insulin injections to control this, but recently there has been discussion that high insulin levels may be just as damaging. Continuing metformin in pregnancy is an area of controversy some doctors won’t prescribe it to women who are trying to conceive, some tell patients to discontinue metformin after a positive pregnancy test, some wait for a heartbeat, some treat through the first trimester, and others continue the medication throughout the pregnancy. There are some studies that indicate continuing the medication may reduce the risk of miscarriage. The long-term risks to the baby are not known, but many apparently healthy babies have been born to women who used metformin while pregnant. Metformin is a Pregnancy Category B drug, meaning that it has not been known to cause birth defects in rats, but there are no adequate studies in pre
