Prevalence and temporal trends of exposure to anti-obesity medications during preconception and pregnancy in a nationwide US claims database, 2018-2023.

Authors

Colette Haynie, Allison Musty, Hannah Choi, Kristina H Lewis, David Stamilio, Elizabeth T Jensen, Asma M Ahmed

Published in

European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology. Volume 327. Pages 115503. Oct 15, 2026. Epub Oct 15, 2026.

Abstract

Use of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) has increased among women of reproductive age, raising concerns about inadvertent fetal exposure. Using a retrospective cohort of approximately 2 million pregnancies identified in commercial claims data from the MarketScan database, this study investigated the prevalence and temporal trends of perinatal exposure to Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved AOMs from 2018 to 2023. Overall, 0.32% (n = 6179) of pregnancies were exposed to AOMs. Prevalence was highest among women aged > 40 years (1.1%) and those with pre-pregnancy obesity or type 2 diabetes (1.4% and 1.2%, respectively). Overall exposure increased modestly from 2018 to 2022, followed by a marked rise between 2022 (0.31%) and 2023 (0.58%). Prior to 2023, most exposures involved phentermine; in 2023, semaglutide accounted for the highest prevalence. The results highlight the need for further research to evaluate maternal and fetal outcomes associated with AOM exposure.

PMID:
42933135
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 27 Oct 2026.

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