Detection and Management of Diabetes during Pregnancy in Low Resource Settings: Insights into Past and Present Clinical Practices.
Background.Timely and adequate treatment is important to limit complications of diabetes affecting pregnancy, but there is a lack of knowledge on how these women are managed in low resource settings.Objective. To identify modalities of gestational diabetes detection and management in low and lower middle income countries.Methods. We conducted a scoping review of published literature and searched the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and African Index Medicus. We included all articles published until April 24, 2016, containing information on clinical practices of detection and management of gestational diabetes irrespective of publication date or language.Results. We identified 23 articles mainly from Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of studies were conducted in large tertiary care centers and hospital admission was reported in a third of publications. Ambulatory follow-up was generally done by weekly to fortnightly visits, whereas self-monitoring of blood glucose was not the norm. The cesarean section rate for pregnancies affected by diabetes ranged between 20% and 89%. Referral of newborns to special care units was common.Conclusion. The variety of reported provider practices underlines the importance of promoting latest consensus guidelines on GDM screening and management and the dissemination of information regarding their implementation.
Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium.
Bettina
0000-0002-7263-3320
B
Utz
Maferinyah Training and Research Centre, Conakry, Guinea.
Alexandre
A
Delamou
Centre de Recherche Hospitalier, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Loubna
L
Belaid
Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium.
Vincent
V
De Brouwere
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003906:Developing Countries; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D004035:Diet Therapy; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods*; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008403:Mass Screening; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin