Birth control pills Harmful in early pregnancy? Mayo Clinic

Birth control pills Harmful in early pregnancy? Mayo Clinic

Birth control pills: Harmful in early pregnancy? - Mayo Clinic

COVID-19 Advice updates and vaccine options

Find out about COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, and Mayo Clinic patient and visitor updates. Skip to site navigation Skip to Content This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Appointments at Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic offers appointments in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota and at Mayo Clinic Health System locations. Request Appointment Healthy Lifestyle

Pregnancy week by week

Products and services

Do birth control pills cause birth defects if taken during early pregnancy

Answer From Myra Wick, M.D., Ph.D. Taking birth control pills during early pregnancy doesn't appear to increase the risk of birth defects. Some research has suggested that using birth control pills near conception could increase the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth or urinary tract concerns in newborns. But in general, health care providers haven't seen those problems occur. Birth control pills lower the risk of pregnancy. They also reduce the risk of a fertilized egg implanting outside the uterus (ectopic pregnancy). Ectopic pregnancies most often form in one of the tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus (fallopian tubes). If you do conceive while taking a progestin-only birth control pill, sometime called the minipill, there is a slightly higher chance that the pregnancy will be ectopic. As a precaution, if you suspect you're pregnant, take a home pregnancy test. If that test is positive, stop taking the pill. If taking a home pregnancy test isn't possible, stop taking birth control pills until you can see a health care provider to find out if you're pregnant. In the meantime, use another method of birth control, such as condoms. If you're worried because you took birth control pills before you knew you were pregnant, talk to your health care provider. But know that there is little risk of birth defects. With Myra Wick, M.D., Ph.D. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form.

From Mayo Clinic to your inbox

Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe!

Thank you for subscribing

You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox.

Sorry something went wrong with your subscription

Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

Blighted ovum: What causes it?Cervical length ShareTweet Aug. 16, 2022 Show references Wick MJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. July 30, 2022. Kaunitz AM. Ectopic pregnancy: Epidemiology, risk factors, and anatomic sites. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed July 15, 2022. Charlton BM, et al. Maternal use of oral contraceptives and risk of birth defects in Denmark: Prospective, nationwide cohort study. BMJ. 2016; doi:10.1136/bmj.h6712. Aronson JK, et al. Hormonal contraceptives - Oral. In: Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed July 15, 2022. Kaunitz AM. Progestin-only pills (POPs) for contraception. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed July 15, 2022. See more Expert Answers

Products and Services

Book: ObstetricksBook: Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy

See also

1st trimester pregnancyOvulationFetal development: The 1st trimesterImplantation bleedingNausea during pregnancyPregnancy due date calculatorPrenatal care: 1st trimesterPregnancy exercisesPregnancy stretchesShow more related content

Advertisement

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship Policy Opportunities Ad Choices

Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press. Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic PressMayo Clinic on IncontinenceNEW – The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic PressNEW – The Essential Diabetes BookNEW – Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic PressNEW – Mayo Clinic on Hearing and BalanceFREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic PressFREE Mayo Clinic Diet AssessmentMayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic PressMayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book

Other Topics in Patient Care & Health Info

Diseases & Conditions A-Z Symptoms A-Z Tests & Procedures A-Z Drugs & Supplements A-Z Health Books Healthy Living Program Mayo Clinic Health Letter Mayo Clinic Voice Apps . FAQ-20058376 Healthy Lifestyle Pregnancy week by week Expert Answers Birth control pills - Harmful in early pregnancy

Mayo Clinic Footer

Request AppointmentSymptom CheckerGive NowContact UsAbout Mayo ClinicEmployeesSite MapAbout This Site

Legal Conditions and Terms

Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Notice of Privacy Practices Notice of Nondiscrimination Manage Cookies

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

HON

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here. 1998-2022 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved.
Share:
0 comments

Comments (0)

Leave a Comment

Minimum 10 characters required

* All fields are required. Comments are moderated before appearing.

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!