Glucose monitoring helps pregnancy problems

Continuous glucose monitoring as part of antenatal care for women with diabetes considerable lowers the risks of future complications, a new study has claimed.

The monitoring improves maternal blood glucose control and lowers birth weight and risk of macrosomia.

Health experts claim that during pregnancy it is important that women with diabetes keep their blood glucose under control.

If they don’t, experts warn, there may be an increase in the amount of glucose reaching the baby and risk of insulin resistance, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Today’s report maintains that continually measuring glucose levels more often improves outcomes, but the authors admit that the optimum frequency of blood glucose testing is still not known.

Researchers found that babies of mothers who had continuous monitoring also had lower birth weight and reduced risk of macrosomia.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Mario Festin states that continuous glucose monitoring is “relatively cheap” compared with a clinic based monitoring system and more widespread use may make it more affordable even in developing countries.