OBJECTIVE:
To estimate whether daily blood glucose self-monitoring reduces macrosomia when compared with weekly office testing in women with gestational diabetes.
METHODS:
Between January 1991 and December 1997, standard treatment at our hospital for women with diet-treated gestational diabetes included routine office monitoring of fasting blood glucose. Beginning in January 1998, blood glucose self-monitoring (four times daily) became the standard management. Women with diet-treated gestational diabetes who underwent routine office-based monitoring of fasting glucose values were compared with similar women who used blood glucose self-monitoring. The outcomes of interest were birthweight at or above 4,000 g and large for gestational age (LGA) in relation to the method of blood glucose self-monitoring.
RESULTS:
A total of 315 women used daily blood glucose self-monitoring, and they were compared with 675 women with weekly office-based glucose testing. Women with daily blood glucose self-monitoring had fewer macrosomic (29.5% compared with 21.9%, P=.013) and LGA neonates (34.4% compared with 23.1%, P≤.001) and gained significantly less weight (median 0.56, interquartile range 0.22–1.08 lb per week compared with 0.74, interquartile range 0.33–1.17 lb per week, P=.009).
CONCLUSION:
Daily blood glucose self-monitoring, compared with weekly office-based testing, is associated with a reduction in the incidence of macrosomia.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:
II
