Expert consensus on standard clinical management of neonatal hypoglycemia in China (2021)

Enhanced recovery after surgery in elective cesarean section patients with gestational diabetes mellitus does not lead to glucose-related maternal and neonatal complications

Objective

For elective cesarean section patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), there is a lack of evidence-based research on the use of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). This study aims to compare the ERAS after-surgery protocol and traditional perioperative management.

Research design and methods

In this retrospective cohort study, singleton pregnancies with good glucose control GDM, delivered by elective cesarean sections under intravertebral anesthesia at least 37 weeks from January 1 to December 31, 2022, were collected at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. We divided all enrolled pregnant women and newborns into an ERAS group and a control group (the traditional perioperative management group) based on their adherence to the ERAS protocol. The primary outcome was the preoperative blood glucose level, with an increase of more than 1 mmol/L indicating clinical significance when compared to the control group. The secondary outcome was centered around an adverse composite outcome that affected both mothers and newborns.

Results

We collected a total of 161 cases, with 82 in the ERAS group and 79 in the control group. Although the mean preoperative blood glucose level in the ERAS group was significantly higher than in the control group (5.01 ± 1.06 mmol/L vs. 4.45 ± 0.90 mmol/L, p<0.001), the primary outcome revealed that the mean glycemic difference between the groups was 0.47 mmol/L (95% CI 0.15-0.80 mmol/L), which was below the clinically significant difference of 1 mmol/L. For the secondary outcomes, the ERAS group had an 86% lower risk of a composite adverse outcome compared to the control group. This included a 73% lower risk of perioperative maternal hypoglycemia and a 92% lower rate of neonatal hypoglycemia, all adjusted by age, hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, BMI, gestational weeks, primigravidae, primary pregnancy, GDM, surgery duration, and fasting glucose.

Conclusion

Implementing a low-dose carbohydrate ERAS in pregnant women with GDM prior to elective cesarean section, compared to traditional perioperative management, does not lead to clinically significant maternal glucose increases and thus glucose-related maternal or neonatal perioperative complications.

[Impact of assisted reproductive technology on birth weight discordance in twins]

OBJECTIVES

To explore the association between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and birth weight discordance in twins (BWDT).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on twin infants born between January 2011 and December 2020 at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, with complete basic birth data. The impact of ART on the occurrence of BWDT was identified by the multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 3 974 pairs of twins were included, with 1 431 conceived naturally and 2 543 through ART. Neonates in the ART group had higher birth weights than those in the naturally conceived group (P<0.001). The incidence of BWDT was lower in the ART group compared to the naturally conceived group (16.17% vs 21.09%, P<0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounding factors such as maternal age, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational diabetes, hypothyroidism, gestational age, and chorionic properties, showed no significant difference in the risk of BWDT between the ART and naturally conceived groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

ART is not associated with the risk of BWDT.

Association between fasting plasma glucose variability and maternal and infant outcomes in patients with hyperglycemia during pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Blood glucose variability (GV) is believed to be closely related to the occurrence of adverse obstetric outcomes. However, few studies have investigated how the change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) influenced on the adverse obstetric outcomes. This study mainly evaluated the relationship between FPG coefficient of variation (FPG-CV) and adverse outcomes in patients with gestational hyperglycemia and determine the ideal FPG-CV threshold for predicting maternal and infant outcomes.

Methods

We retrospective analyzed the data of 608 pregnant hyperglycemic patients in the Obstetrics Department of Shengjing Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University between June 2019 and December 2021 and followed up inpatients through the Hospital Information System (HIS). We collected the venous FPG from 24-28 weeks of pregnancy to delivery. Maternal and infant outcomes were based on the latest definitions. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the correlation between FPG-CV and adverse outcomes. Two multivariate binary logistic regression models were used to adjust for confounding factors. Stratified analysis was performed according to hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels (<5.9% and ≥5.9%) and insulin injection (not used and used) in the third trimester of pregnancy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the prediction of FPG-CV on adverse outcomes.

Results

All patients were divided into four groups based on the quartile of FPG-CV. The proportion of FPG-SD and insulin injections differed among the groups (P<0.05). Among the outcomes, the highest incidence rate was 26.3% for large for gestational age (LGA), 8.7% for premature delivery. FPG-CV remains independently associated with low birth weight [odds ratio (OR) =1.086, P=0.007], preterm birth (OR =1.069, P=0.012), and preeclampsia (OR =1.180, P<0.001). FPG-CV can predict preeclampsia, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.725.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that patients with gestational hyperglycemia should undergo routine FPG monitoring from diagnosis to delivery. Also, the impact of blood glucose fluctuations on adverse outcomes should be considered in the clinical treatment. The rational application of hypoglycemic treatment can stabilize blood glucose levels, however, the effects of different regimens on GV and outcomes should be studied further.