Source: Daily Mail
Hundreds of mothers-to-be are being given drugs to stop them from having obese babies as part of a controversial NHS trial.
The overweight women will take the diabetes pill, metformin, up to three times a day during their pregnancy.
The treatment is designed to reduce the food supply to the baby, rather than make the expectant mother lose weight herself.
The doctors behind the trial say obesity among pregnant women is reaching epidemic proportions and they need to protect the health of tomorrow’s children.
However, many healthy women are likely to be uneasy about mass medication in pregnancy for a problem which can be treated through changes to diet and exercise.
With studies suggesting that the seeds of obesity are sown in the womb, early intervention could save youngsters from a lifetime of weight problems and ill-health.
Metformin, which costs pennies per tablet, has been safely used by diabetics for decades and is cleared for the treatment of diabetes in pregnancy.
Read More: Obese mothers-to-be get a pill to prevent fat babies in NHS trial
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