Pre-Pregnancy Hormonal Contraception Use: A Potential Risk Factor for Development of Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia that is first recognized during pregnancy. It can lead to a number of maternal and fetal complications. According to a 2014 analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of gestational diabetes is as high as 9.2 %. Recently, pre-pregnancy use of hormonal contraceptives is thought to be a potential risk factor for GDM beside the traditional risk factors like maternal older age, overweight/obesity, and family history of GDM etc. It has been found that, women who use hormonal contraceptives before they get pregnant may be 1.4 times more likely to suffer from gestational diabetes than women who do not use any method of birth control. As new and safe contraceptive methods are now available, physicians and other health staffs should guide women by educating, counseling and suggesting a proper method as a measure to avoid the risk for gestational diabetes in their future pregnancy.