Metformin Safe & Effective To Treat Diabetes In Pregnancy
Gestational diabetes is the term used for diabetes during pregnancy. It is a dangerous condition because it may cause a lot of complications to the baby. The best treatment is still the insulin injection. However, this brings problem to some pregnant mother who has phobia to the needle. That’s why researchers are finding alternative treatment for gestational diabetes.
A recent study conducted to test the usage of metformin in pregnant mothers with diabetes. 751 pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes at 20 to 33 weeks of pregnancy is received open treatment with metformin (with supplemented insulin if required) or insulin.
They found that metformin, alone or in conjuction with supplemented insulin, was not associated with an increase in neonatal complications compared with insulin.
Rates of neonatal hypoglycaemia were similiar in each group, but severe hypoglycaemia (<1.6 mmol of glucoseper litre) occured significantly less in infants of women taking metformin.
However, frequency of preterm birth was found to be higher in metformin group. The different could be due to chance or to an unrecognised effect of metformin on the labour process, the researchers suggest.
As a conclusion, the researchers comment “Clinicians may remain circumspect about using metformin until follow-up data for offspring are available.”
Resources: The New England Journal Of Medicine 2008; 358:2003
Pingback by Metformin Safe & Effective To Treat Diabetes In Pregnancy by diabetes.MEDtrials.info on 30 May 2008:
[…] continues at WiseLee brought to you by diabetes.medtrials.info and […]