Background: Hyperglycemia in pregnancy occurs worldwide and is closely associated with health issues in women and their offspring, such as pregnancy and birth complications, respectively, as well as comorbidities, such as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. To optimize the management of diabetic pregnancies, sustainable strategies are urgently needed. Investigation of constantly evolving technologies for diabetes that help to manage pregnancy and health is required.
Objective: We aimed to conduct a systematic review to assess the clinical effectiveness of technologies for diabetes in pregnancy.
Methods: Relevant databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science Core Collection were searched in September 2020 for clinical studies (2008-2020). Findings were organized by type of diabetes, type of technology, and outcomes (glycemic control, pregnancy- and birth-related outcomes, and neonatal outcomes). Study quality was assessed using Effective Public Health Practice Project criteria.
Results: We identified 15 randomized controlled trials, 3 randomized crossover trials, 2 cohort studies, and 2 controlled clinical trials. Overall, 9 studies focused on type 1 diabetes, 0 studies focused on gestational diabetes, and 3 studies focused on both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. We found that 9 studies were strong quality, 11 were moderate quality, and 2 were weak quality. Technologies for diabetes seemed to have particularly positive effects on glycemic control in all types of diabetes, shown by some strong and moderate quality studies. Positive trends in pregnancy-related, birth-related, and neonatal outcomes were observed.
Conclusions: Technologies have the potential to effectively improve the management of diabetes during pregnancy. Further research on the clinical effectiveness of these technologies is needed, especially in pregnant women with type 2 diabetes.
Keywords: diabetes management; diabetes technologies; digital health; eHealth; pregnancy; systematic review.
©Claudia Eberle, Maxine Loehnert, Stefanie Stichling. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 28.04.2021.