Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes Treated with Regular Insulin or Fast-Acting Insulin Analogues

Abstract

Background/Aims: Fast-acting insulin analogues (FAIAs) are being used more frequently during pregnancy. Previous studies comparing regular insulin (RI) and FAIA consist primarily of women enrolled with pre-existing diabetes; therefore, we compared pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in women with gestational diabetes. Methods: We retrospectively investigated 197 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) requiring insulin treatment for glycemic control. Individuals were divided into 2 groups: RI (n = 55) and FAIA (aspart or lispro; n = 142). Pregnancy outcomes, including caesarean section rate, and neonatal outcomes, including macrosomia and ponderal index, were compared between groups. Results: There were no significant differences in maternal baseline characteristics (age, parity, body mass index and weight gain) between groups or in haemoglobinA_1c before delivery. The frequency of emergency caesarean section (caesarean section after trial of labor) was not significantly different between groups (RI 16.7%, FAIA 24.7%; p = 0.452). There were no differences in frequencies of macrosomia (RI 3.4%, FAIA 6.5%; p = 0.518), ponderal index (RI 2.65 ± 0.5, FAIA 2.71 ± 0.5; p = 0.322), cranial-thoracic circumference ratio (RI 1.07 ± 0.06, FAIA 1.07 ± 0.06; p = 0.386) or neonatal hypoglycemia (RI 5.1%, FAIA 5.8%; p = 1.000). Conclusion: Our data indicate that FAIA achieves similar pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in GDM compared with RI. Considering patient convenience, FAIA may be better to use during pregnancy.