Nutritional Manipulation for the Primary Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Studies
What this study found
Diet-based interventions reduced GDM risk by 33% (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.39-1.15; I2 = 52%), but not statistically significant. Mixed diet-and-lifestyle approaches had no effect (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.89-1.22; I2 = 23%). Nutritional supplements with diet reduced GDM risk: probiotics (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.20-0.78) and myo-inositol (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.16-0.99). A BMI interaction showed greater benefit of diet-based interventions in obese/overweight women (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.18-0.86). Conclusion: Diet-based or mixed approaches do not consistently reduce GDM; nutritional supplements show potential and warrant…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials evaluating nutritional manipulation in pregnancy to prevent GDM.
- Intervention
- myo-inositol: 2 g twice daily plus 200 µg folic acid; started at 12-13 weeks gestation.
- Key limitation
- Differences in inclusion criteria and intervention components; variation in duration, intensity, and frequency; non-standardized GDM definitions; multi-component interventions complicating attribution of effects to a single component; Hawthorne effect due to accessible interventions and lack of blinding; variable…
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Introduction The rise in gestational diabetes (GDM), defined as first onset or diagnosis of diabetes in pregnancy, is a global problem. GDM is often associated with unhealthy diet and is a major contributor to adverse outcomes maternal and fetal outcomes. Manipulation of nutrition has the potential to prevent GDM. Methods We assessed the effects of nutritional manipulation in pregnancy on GDM and relevant maternal and fetal outcomes by a systematic review of the literature. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database from inception to March 2014 without any language restrictions. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) of nutritional manipulation to prevent GDM were included. We summarised dichotomous data as relative risk (RR) and continuous data as standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results From 1761 citations, 20 RCTs (6,444 women) met the inclusion criteria. We identified the following interventions: diet-based (n = 6), mixed approach (diet and lifestyle) interventions (n = 13), and nutritional supplements (myo-inositol n = 1, diet with probiotics n = 1). Diet based interventions reduced the risk of GDM by 33% (RR 0.67; 95% CI 0.39, 1.15). Mixed approach interventions based on diet and lifestyle had no effect on GDM (RR 0.95; 95% CI 0.89, 1.22). Nutritional supplements probiotics combined with diet (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.20, 0.78) and myo-inositol (RR 0.40; 95% CI 0.16, 0.99) were assessed in one trial each and showed a beneficial effect. We observed a significant interaction between the groups based on BMI for diet-based intervention. The risk of GDM was reduced in obese and overweight pregnant women for GDM (RR 0.40, 95% CI 0.18, 0.86). Conclusions Nutritional manipulation in pregnancy based on diet or mixed approach do not appear to reduce the risk of GDM. Nutritional supplements show potential as agents for primary prevention of GDM.