Taiwan Study Examines Pregnancy Outcomes After Accidental GLP-1 Drug Exposure Around Conception | Research

The takeaway

A nationwide Taiwan cohort study evaluated whether unintentional GLP-1 drug exposure around conception is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with type 2 diabetes.

Nationwide pregnancy safety data
Taiwan cohort assesses GLP-1 RA periconceptional exposure in diabetic mothers

What the researchers found

The nationwide cohort study assessed associations between periconceptional GLP-1 RA exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with pregestational T2DM compared to insulin users.

Why it matters

Millions of reproductive-age women now take GLP-1 drugs. Understanding pregnancy risks from accidental exposure around conception is critical for counseling and prescribing guidelines.

How the study worked

Nationwide cohort study linking Taiwan's Birth Certificate Application and National Health Insurance claims 2013-2022; periconceptional GLP-1 RA exposure vs insulin.

What this study cannot tell us

Observational database study; exposure defined by dispensing, not actual use; confounding by diabetes severity; Taiwan population may differ from others.

How to read the evidence

Nationwide retrospective cohort — large population-based study but observational design limits causal inference.

When this study was published

Published in 2026, addressing an increasingly urgent reproductive safety question.

The bigger picture

This addresses one of the most urgent safety questions in the GLP-1 drug era — what happens when women become pregnant while taking these medications, as millions of reproductive-age women now use them.

Questions still open

Should all women of reproductive age on GLP-1 drugs use reliable contraception?
How long before conception should GLP-1 drugs be discontinued for safety?

Common questions

Is it safe to get pregnant while taking a GLP-1 drug?

GLP-1 drugs are not recommended during pregnancy, and this study examines what happens when women are accidentally exposed around conception. Current guidance recommends stopping GLP-1 drugs at least 2 months before planned pregnancy.

Why is this study important now?

With millions of reproductive-age women now using GLP-1 drugs for diabetes or weight loss, unintended pregnancies while on these medications are increasingly common. Understanding the risks is essential for patient safety.

Read the original research

Unintentional periconceptional exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.

Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 28(2), 1420-1430

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Chou, Yi-Chang; Weng, Shih-Han; Cheng, Feng-Shiang; Tseng, Chih-Hao; Hu, Hsiao-Yun; Liu, Chieh-Hsing. (2026). Unintentional periconceptional exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and adverse pregnancy outcomes: A nationwide cohort study in Taiwan.. Diabetes, obesity & metabolism, 28(2), 1420-1430. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.70334