Metformin treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: update on safety and efficacy.

ABSTRACT: With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women of childbearing age, prescribing antidiabetic medications in first-trimester pregnancy is becoming more common. Metformin treatment during this time is usually avoided in countries with well-resourced healthcare. This is based on historical concerns about safety to the foetus and the widespread availability of insulin. However, there is now increasing interest in the potential benefits of metformin in pregnant women with T2DM. In this commentary, the main evidence supporting metformin safety in pregnancy is summarized, with an emphasis on the first trimester. Based on a structured literature search, the recent randomized controlled trials comparing metformin and insulin are reviewed. We then show that prescribing ad

SUBMITTER: Polasek TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5971402 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature