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Pregnant Mothers take Drugs for Thinner Babies
Posted on May 3, 2012 Julie Chang, L.Ac.
Where do YOU draw the line at drug treatment?
A recent article revealed that mothers are taking prescription medication to “prevent” overweight babies. The National Health Services (NHS) in the UK has started clinical drug trials by administering Metformin, a drug used to treat gestational diabetes, to overweight pregnant women concerned about delivering an overweight baby. This effort by the NHS is in response to an epidemic of so-called “sumo babies” or babies born weighing more than 11 lbs. The organization argues that babies born this large face an increased risk of becoming obese as adults. The drug is considered safe for unborn babies. However, in some cases, a severe and sometimes life threatening side effect occurs called Lactic Acidosis in which lactic acid builds up in the bloodstream. Lesser side effects include headache, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, and belly pain.
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