Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child

With the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its growing impact on maternal and fetal health, management during pregnancy has become critical. This review describes the pathophysiology of insulin resistance during pregnancy, adverse outcomes correlated with diabetic pregnancies, and current manage...

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Main Authors: Zoe Paige Garvey, Abhishek Gupta, Nicole Taylor, Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu, Nilanjana Maulik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Metabolites
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/3/180
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author Zoe Paige Garvey
Abhishek Gupta
Nicole Taylor
Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu
Nilanjana Maulik
author_facet Zoe Paige Garvey
Abhishek Gupta
Nicole Taylor
Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu
Nilanjana Maulik
author_sort Zoe Paige Garvey
collection DOAJ
description With the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its growing impact on maternal and fetal health, management during pregnancy has become critical. This review describes the pathophysiology of insulin resistance during pregnancy, adverse outcomes correlated with diabetic pregnancies, and current management strategies. We investigate two leading approaches to managing pregnant patients with diabetes—lifestyle intervention and drug treatment. Lifestyle intervention, including dietary counseling, exercise regimens, patient education, and self-administered blood glucose monitoring, has demonstrated promising results in the management and prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Early intervention and treatment of at-risk patients have been critical for positive outcomes. Drug treatment, focusing on the utilization of insulin, insulin analogs, and antihyperglycemic agents has shown efficacy in achieving glycemic control and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. These findings indicate that a combination of early lifestyle intervention and targeted drug treatment yields the most benefit in managing diabetes in pregnancy. To augment treatment, continuous glucose monitoring and telemedicine have become valuable tools in managing diabetes during pregnancy. Future research should aim to develop more effective antihyperglycemic agents, improve telehealth accessibility, and enhance preconception care for women at risk of developing GDM. By addressing these areas, we can significantly reduce the adverse outcomes associated with diabetes in pregnancy and improve overall maternal and fetal health.
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spelling doaj-art-4de29fb1401c40ffa0a8042a91fb70f82025-08-20T03:43:27ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892025-03-0115318010.3390/metabo15030180Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and ChildZoe Paige Garvey0Abhishek Gupta1Nicole Taylor2Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu3Nilanjana Maulik4Molecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USAMolecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USAMolecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USAMolecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USAMolecular Cardiology and Angiogenesis Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USAWith the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its growing impact on maternal and fetal health, management during pregnancy has become critical. This review describes the pathophysiology of insulin resistance during pregnancy, adverse outcomes correlated with diabetic pregnancies, and current management strategies. We investigate two leading approaches to managing pregnant patients with diabetes—lifestyle intervention and drug treatment. Lifestyle intervention, including dietary counseling, exercise regimens, patient education, and self-administered blood glucose monitoring, has demonstrated promising results in the management and prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Early intervention and treatment of at-risk patients have been critical for positive outcomes. Drug treatment, focusing on the utilization of insulin, insulin analogs, and antihyperglycemic agents has shown efficacy in achieving glycemic control and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes. These findings indicate that a combination of early lifestyle intervention and targeted drug treatment yields the most benefit in managing diabetes in pregnancy. To augment treatment, continuous glucose monitoring and telemedicine have become valuable tools in managing diabetes during pregnancy. Future research should aim to develop more effective antihyperglycemic agents, improve telehealth accessibility, and enhance preconception care for women at risk of developing GDM. By addressing these areas, we can significantly reduce the adverse outcomes associated with diabetes in pregnancy and improve overall maternal and fetal health.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/3/180gestational diabetes mellitustype 1 diabetestype 2 diabetestelemedicineinsulin resistancelifestyle modification
spellingShingle Zoe Paige Garvey
Abhishek Gupta
Nicole Taylor
Mahesh Thirunavukkarasu
Nilanjana Maulik
Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
Metabolites
gestational diabetes mellitus
type 1 diabetes
type 2 diabetes
telemedicine
insulin resistance
lifestyle modification
title Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
title_full Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
title_fullStr Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
title_full_unstemmed Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
title_short Navigating Diabetes in Pregnancy: Critical Approaches to Mitigate Risks and Improve Outcomes for Mother and Child
title_sort navigating diabetes in pregnancy critical approaches to mitigate risks and improve outcomes for mother and child
topic gestational diabetes mellitus
type 1 diabetes
type 2 diabetes
telemedicine
insulin resistance
lifestyle modification
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/3/180
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