Contraceptive pill does not contribute to birth defects, say researchers

Risk is no greater for babies whose mothers took birth control pills while pregnant than those whose mothers never did

Oral contraceptives taken just before or during pregnancy do not increase the risk of birth defects, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday.

Examining records for nearly 900,000 live births in Denmark, researchers found that even women who used the pill after becoming pregnant were no more likely to have babies with serious defects than mothers who had never used it.