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Metformin during pregnancy: possible risk of malformations

 Adverse Effects  Metformin does not appear to be associated with a high risk of malformations, but the available data do not rule out the possibility that metformin exposure increases the risk of certain rare but serious malformations.
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  • Women mainly take metformin for diabetes or, more rarely, for polycystic ovary syndrome. Metformin crosses the placenta, reaching plasma concentrations in the baby at least as high as those in the mother. 
     
  • A Finnish study designed and funded by Merck, a pharmaceutical company that markets metformin, did not rule out the possibility of a higher risk of malformations in children exposed to metformin during the 1st trimester of pregnancy.
     
  • Insulin remains the first choice when a drug is required to control blood glucose levels during pregnancy.
     

©Prescrire 1 February 2023

Source: "Metformin during pregnancy: possible risk of malformations" Prescrire International 2023; 32 (245): 46-48. Subscribers only.

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