Height, weight, and motor-social development during the first 18 months of life in 126 infants born to 109 mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome who conceived on and continued metformin through pregnancy.
BACKGROUND
We prospectively assessed growth and motor-social development during the first 18 months of life in 126 live births (122 pregnancies) to 109 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who conceived on and continued metformin (1.5-2.55 g/day) through pregnancy.


METHODS
The lengths and weights of PCOS neonates were compared with gender-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infant data. Gestational diabetes (GD) and pre-eclampsia in women with PCOS were compared with 252 healthy women without PCOS who had >or=1 live birth (262 live births).


RESULTS
There were 101 out of 126 (80%) term (>or=37 gestational weeks) PCOS births, which was not significantly different (P = 0.7) from controls, 206 out of 252 (81.7%). There were two (1.6%) birth defects. GD occurred in nine out of 119 PCOS pregnancies (7.6%) versus 40 out of 251 (15.9%) controls, P = 0.027. The prevalence of pre-eclampsia did not differ in PCOS versus control pregnancies (4.1 versus 3.6%, P = 0.8). The birth length and weight of the 52 male neonates did not differ (P > 0.05) from those of CDC males; the 74 female neonates were shorter than CDC females (48.9 +/- 5.4 versus 50.6 +/- 2.7 cm, P = 0.006) and weighed less (3.09 +/- 0.85 versus 3.29 +/- 0.52 kg, P = 0.04). There were no systematic differences in growth between PCOS and CDC infants over 18 months. At 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months, of a potential 100% motor-social development score, scores (+/-SD) were 95 +/- 13, 98 +/- 8%, 95 +/- 10, 97 +/- 8 and 94 +/- 16%; no infants had motor-social developmental delays.


CONCLUSIONS
Metformin reduced development of GD, was not teratogenic and did not adversely affect birth length and weight, growth or motor-social development in the first 18 months of life.
Glueck
C J
CJ
Cholesterol Center, ABC Building, 3200 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. glueckch@healthall.com
Goldenberg
N
N
Pranikoff
J
J
Loftspring
M
M
Sieve
L
L
Wang
P
P
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008687:Metformin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009048:Motor Skills; D011085:Polycystic Ovary Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012919:Social Behavior
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008687:Metformin