Self-monitoring of blood glucose in pregnant diabetics. A comparative study of the blood glucose level and course of pregnancy in pregnant diabetics on an out-patient regime before and after the introduction of methods for home analysis of blood glucose.
Sixty-one pregnant patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus completed a self-monitoring program consisting of five daily blood glucose tests at least twice weekly during the ambulatory periods of their pregnancies. Either a reflectometer method, Eyetone, glucometer--reflectometer, or Haemoglucotest 1-44 test strips were used. Of 1 834 glucose profiles, 45% were optimal, with all blood glucose values between 3.9 and 8.3 mmol/l. The 61 pregnancies were compared with 62 pregnancies where the diabetic control and therapy principles were identical, but where self-monitoring blood glucose methods were not employed. The self-monitoring regime resulted in a significant drop in mean blood glucose levels, from 7.8 +/- 1.3 to 6.4 +/- 1.0 mmol/l, compared with the period before the self-monitoring program was introduced. Furthermore, a decline in the number of diabetes-conditioned extra hospitalizations during pregnancy in the self-test group could be registered.
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood*; D011934:Reagent Strips; D012648:Self Care
D001786:Blood Glucose; D011934:Reagent Strips