More new mothers in the United States are starting a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic or Zepbound within months of giving birth. A study published Oct. 1 in JAMA found that the share of privately insured women who began a GLP-1 drug within six months of delivery climbed from 0.08% in the first half of 2018 to 1.9% in the first quarter of 2025, a nearly 24-fold rise.
The analysis, led by a researcher at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, reviewed insurance claims covering more than 1 million births over seven years. It tracked who was prescribed the drugs, not whether the medications worked. It did not measure safety, side effects, or effects on babies.
