Until now, pregnant women with diabetes related to Pregnancy[Gestational Diabetes]had limited treatment option. Excessively high blood-sugar levels during pregnancy were controlled primarily by modifying a patient's diet or, if that failed, using insulin to treat the condition.
Now, there are two other drugs women who have this condition should consider. Glibenclamide[also called Glyburide], an oral medication has been a viable treatment option for pregnant women since 2000, and metformin, another oral drug is an option newly deemed safe and effective in a study published on May 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition, dietary changes remain important, since they can reduce the risk of having a large baby and a more difficult delivery. The addition of metformin to the list of options for pregnant women is important, since pills are helpful for women who are wary of giving themselves shots of insulin.
Importantly, the new study found that metformin treatment was not associated with increased risks to the baby, compared with insulin. Women in the study also said they preferred metformin over insulin. Both drugs are already used as treatments for type 2 diabetes in adults, but prior to this week's study it wasn't known whether metformin was effective in gestational diabetes—or whether it might cause problems for the fetus.
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