Antipsychotics During Pregnancy Can Raise the Risk for Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes occurs in approximately 5% to 9% of pregnancies in the U.S.; risk factors include obesity, family histories of diabetes, and ethnicity. Because atypical antipsychotic medications affect insulin resistance, the question arises whether these medications confer additional risks for gestational diabetes. Using Medicaid data on >1.5 million women delivering from 2000 to 2010, investigators determined rates of gestational diabetes among women who continued or discontinued antipsychotics during pregnancy.

The sample consisted of nearly 2000 women who had filled at least one prescription for aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, or ziprasidone during the 3 months prior to their last menstrual period before pregnancy…