Are you a man? Do you have diabetes? Are you thinking about becoming a father?

If you or someone you know can answer yes to the above questions, it’s time for them to talk to their doctor about the medication they are taking to manage their diabetes. Their current medication could have serious side effects not just on them but also on any children they might father.

The medication in question is called Metformin. It’s a drug used to manage type 2 diabetes, but it may also cause genital defects in babies of fathers who take this medication.

A study conducted by the University of Southern Denmark and Stanford University found a link between genital birth defects in baby boys and fathers who took Metformin up to three months before conception. Fathers who didn’t take Metformin had a 3.3% chance of their babies having birth defects, but fathers who took Metformin in the three month period before conception had a 5.2% chance of their babies having birth defects. 

The study did not include mothers who took Metformin. It also only looked at men who were under the age of 40 where the mother was under the age of 35. Researchers looked at national registries of births between 1997 and 2016 and considered fathers to be taking Metformin if they filled a prescription for the drug any time within three months of conception.

Men currently taking Metformin to manage diabetes should talk to their doctor especially if they are considering having children. According to the same study, men’s sperm quality can be impacted by diabetes control, so switching to a different medication could also impact the chance of conception.

Watch the video below to learn more about this study and what it might mean for fathers and their children.

Does it surprise you that a diabetes medication might have an impact on a father’s offspring? Do you know anyone who takes Metformin?