When it comes to being pregnant, most women stop smoking and drinking alcohol. And when you struggle to have a baby, you can’t help but worry about IVF drugs’ possible negative impacts.
Although, Dr. Garcia dispelled the myth that IVF drugs cause cancer in episode 20, it doesn’t stop the fears surrounding the impacts IVF drugs may have on the health of your unborn child.
Specifically, Dr. Bentov, a fertility doctor, talks about the risks of taking Metformin during pregnancy because it’s commonly prescribed for diabetes and for women with PCOS that undergo fertility treatment.
The bottom line is, “Whatever happens to the mother happens to the baby”.
That means, mom and baby’s blood concentration of metformin is the same because metformin crosses the placenta.
While embryos are 100% dependent on energy to grow, metformin decreases cellular energy which forces the baby to develop efficiently in the womb even though it’s a low energy environment.
This is not a problem until the baby is born and exposed to the western type diet in the land of supersized meals and sugary treats. Dr. Bentov has been researching this topic and found studies where children have high blood pressure and diabetes at the age of 7.
Another recent study speaks to genital birth defects in boy offsprings after the father takes metformin for diabetes.
What’s the antidote? According to Dr. Bentov, EAT Healthy and you don’t need to worry and speak to your doctor to see about alternative choices.
Resources
A Western Diet Side Story: The Effects of Transitioning to a Western – Type Diet on Fertility by Yaakov Bentov
Diabetes Drug Linked to Genital Birth Defects in Baby Boys
Related Episodes
Episode 19: A Fertility Doctor’s Fertility Story w/ Dr. Meivys Garcia
