Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jun 9.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.70291. Online ahead of print.

Effects of the immediate postpartum insertion of the etonogestrel implant on the development of breastfed infants: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Mariane Nunes de Nadai  1 , Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares  2 , Juliana Cunha de Lima Rodrigues Sisdeli  2 , Lilian Sheila de Melo Pereira do Carmo  3 , Giordana Campos Braga  4   5 , Leticia Sanchez Ferreira  6 , Silvana Maria Quintana  5 , Carolina Sales Vieira  5
Affiliations

Effects of the immediate postpartum insertion of the etonogestrel implant on the development of breastfed infants: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Mariane Nunes de Nadai et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. .

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional development in breastfed infants whose mothers received the etonogestrel (ENG) implant either immediately postpartum or at 6 weeks postpartum.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial involving 100 postpartum women and their infants. Postpartum women were block-randomized to receive the ENG implant either within 48 h of delivery (early insertion group, n = 50) or at 6 weeks postpartum (delayed insertion group, n = 50). We focused on infant development assessed at 6-8 months and 12-15 months using the Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III). The study was conducted at the University Hospital of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Brazil. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were compared using t tests and χ2 tests. BSID-III composite scores were analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression.

Results: A total of 79 infants completed at least one developmental assessment. No significant differences in baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were observed between groups. At 6-8 months, BSID-III composite scores across all domains were similar between groups. At 12-15 months, the early insertion group had a significantly higher mean motor score compared with the delayed group (108 ± 11 vs. 99 ± 14, P = 0.003), but no significant differences were found in the other domains.

Conclusion: Immediate postpartum ENG implant insertion did not negatively impact infant development up to 12-15 months.

Clinical trial registration: This study was registered on https://clinicaltrials.gov/, registration number NCT02469454, Link: https://www.

Clinicaltrials: gov/study/NCT02469454?term=NCT02469454%20&rank=1#study-overview; date of registration: June 9, 2015.

Keywords: etonogestrel implant; infant development; long‐acting reversible contraception; postpartum contraception.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Obstetric Practice. Committee opinion No. 670: immediate postpartum long‐acting reversible contraception. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128:e32. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001587
    1. Floyd S. Postpartum Contraception Options. Obstet Gynecol Clin N Am. 2020;47:463‐475. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2020.04.007
    1. Vricella LK, Gawron LM, Louis JM. Society for maternal‐fetal medicine consult series #48: immediate postpartum long‐acting reversible contraception for women at high risk for medical complications. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2019;220:B2. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2019.02.011
    1. Taub RL, Jensen JT. Advances in contraception: new options for postpartum women. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2017;18:677‐688. doi:10.1080/14656566.2017.1316370
    1. Committee opinion No. 642: increasing access to contraceptive implants and intrauterine devices to reduce unintended pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2015;126:e44‐e48. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000001106

Associated data

LinkOut - more resources