Establishing the Optimal Time for Induction of Labor in Women with Diet-Controlled Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Single-Center Observational Study

Abstract

To determine the optimal week for labor induction in women with diet-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus by comparing differences in perinatal and neonatal outcomes of labor induction to expectant management at different gestational weeks. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively recruited cohort of 797 singleton pregnancies complicated by diet-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus that were diagnosed, treated, and delivered after 37 weeks in a tertiary, university-affiliated perinatal center between January 2016 and December 2021. Results: The incidence of neonatal complications was highest when delivery occurred at 37 weeks, whereas fetal macrosomia occurred mostly at 41 weeks (20.7%); the frequency of large for gestational age infants did not differ between the groups. Conversely, the best neonatal outcomes were observed at 40 weeks due to the lowest number of neonates requiring phototherapy for neonatal jaundice (1.7%) and the smallest proportion of neonates experiencing composite adverse neonatal outcomes defined as neonatal hypoglycemia, phototherapy, clavicle fracture, or umbilical artery pH < 7.15 (10.4%). Compared with expectant management, the risk for neonatal hypoglycemia was increased for induction at 39 weeks (adjusted odds ratio 12.29, 95% confidence interval 1.35–111.75, p = 0.026) and that for fetal macrosomia was decreased for induction at 40 weeks (adjusted odds ratio 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.01–0.92, p = 0.041), after adjusting for maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, nulliparity, and mean pregnancy A1c. Conclusions: The lowest rate of neonatal complications was observed at 40 weeks. Labor induction at 40 weeks prevented fetal macrosomia.