Hormonal contraception may up risk for gestational diabetes
Women who use hormonal birth control before they get pregnant may be more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy, according to a new, first-in-kind study.
The research, published online July 17 in the Preventing Chronic Disease journal, suggests that hormonal contraceptives raise the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a type of diabetes that occurs or his first recognised in pregnancy and is estimated to affect up to 15% of pregnant women worldwide.
To investigate whether a relationship exists between methods of birth control and gestational diabetes risk, Dr Venkata Garikapaty, of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and colleagues analysed data from over 2,700 women who completed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey.
Participants were asked questions about their history of gestational diabetes and their use of birth control, both before becoming pregnant and after giving birth.
More than 8 out of 10 (8.3%) of the women reported being diagnosed with GDM in their most recent pregnancy. 18% of the women said they used hormonal contraception, such as birth control pills, contraceptive patches, and cervical rings, making it was the most common form of contraception, closely followed by condoms and other barrier methods at about 17%.
The team concluded …read more
Source: News from Diabetes.co.uk