October 31, 2003
Family Planning
Question from Pensacola, Florida, USA:
I have had type 1 diabetes for 24 years, was diagnosed with gastroparesis when I was seven weeks pregnant, and two days later I had a miscarriage. I have had two healthy pregnancies in the past with no problems, and I want to get pregnant again, but I would like some information on gastroparesis and pregnancies before I do.
Can gastroparesis cause miscarriages? Can you please tell me the risks of having gastroparesis and pregnancy?
Answer:
I have had a few patients with severe gastroparesis, but it did not lead to miscarriage. I do not think that there is any relationship between the two other than an unfortunate coincidence.
Pregnancy itself already slows down gastrointestinal motility. Thus, in future pregnancies I would expect that you are at increased risk of exacerbation of the gastroparesis. There are some medications such as Reglan that help the symptoms and are usually considered safe to use during pregnancy.
OWJ
