Diabetic medications in pregnancy

Abstract

All forms of diabetes are increasing in prevalence, but with the advent of the obesity epidemic, we now face the prospect of an increasing number of women conceiving whilst taking traditional oral antidiabetic agents (OADs). This is also further complicated by the availability of new incretin-based therapies, the dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP-IV) inhibitors and glucagon-like-1 receptor (GLP-1R) analogues. Original concerns regarding the use of such OADs have meant that diet control and insulin has been the mainstay of treatment for hyperglycaemia during pregnancy. However, recent NICE guidelines have suggested a role for oral antidiabetic agents. Safety is of paramount concern, especially in pregnancy, and this review will discuss the evidence to date.