A research study in the Preventing Chronic Disease journal, suggests that hormonal contraceptives raise the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Dr Venkata Garikapaty, of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, and colleagues analysed data from over 2,700 women who completed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey. Of the 2,741 women who completed the 2007-2008 PRAMS survey, 8.3% were diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and 17.9% of the respondents had used hormonal contraceptive methods. Women who used hormonal methods of birth control had higher odds for gestational diabetes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-1.55) than did women who used no contraception. A protective effect was also observed for women who had used barrier methods of contraception (AOR = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.72-0.86).

The team concluded that women who used hormonal contraceptive methods were 1.4 times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than women who did not use any form of birth control. More research is needed to verify contraception as a potential risk factor for gestational diabetes.

Limitations of the study included the fact it only focused on one US state and was based on self-reported data. It did not specify if the women had been asked about the exact timing and duration of their contraception use, and whether they were on birth control when they got pregnant.