Healthcare professionals now have clear guidance for women who want to become pregnant after using weight-loss medicines, according to the Leuven University Hospital UZ Leuven on Monday.
The practical recommendations were drawn up by international experts in coordination with REALIFE, an interdisciplinary research group at KU Leuven, and in collaboration with the University of Plymouth.
They are intended for people who wish to conceive after taking weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic.
Until now, doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals had very little guidance on the issue, said Professor Roland Devlieger, gynaecologist-obstetrician and head of the REALIFE research group.
Devlieger said the new framework was designed to support safe, high-quality care.
Under the recommendations, people who wish to be pregnant should stop weight-loss treatment as soon as pregnancy is confirmed.
Accidental exposure during early pregnancy does not appear to be linked to a higher risk of congenital malformations, according to the guidelines.
Lifestyle support and the possible resumption of treatment after childbirth are also covered by the recommendations, which were published in the specialist journal Obesity Reviews.
