Mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome more likely to have smaller babies

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-28 01:00

Australia; International

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Babies born to mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have smaller measurements at birth including lower birth weight, birth length, and head circumference, according to Norwegian research. The study, which combined data from three clinical trials, compared babies born to women with PCOS and another group of mothers without PCOS, and found that PCOS was linked to growth restriction in babies. The growth restriction also appeared to be more pronounced in women with higher body mass index (BMI) and potentially for women with overweight and obesity, the authors say this will need to be confirmed in future studies. An editorial from an Australian expert says that ensuring doctors are well-educated about the diverse impacts of PCOS, accurately capture PCOS status, and are equipped to screen, prevent, and manage pregnancy complications will ultimately improve outcomes for both mothers and their babies.

Attachments

Note: Not all attachments are visible to the general public. Research URLs will go live after the embargo ends.

Research JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Editorial / Opinion JAMA, Web page Please link to the article in online versions of your report (the URL will go live after the embargo ends).

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Monash University, University of Science and Technology, Norway

Funder: The present study was supported by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Dr Nilsen); the Pilot study, by St Olavs Hospital; the Metformin in Pregnant PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) Women (PregMet) study, by the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology; and the PregMet 2 study, by the Research Council of Norway, St Olavs Hospital, and Novo Nordisk A/S. The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study is supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Education and Research.

Media Contact/s

Contact details are only visible to registered journalists.