Randomized controlled trial of induction at 38 weeks versus 40 weeks gestation on maternal and infant outcomes in women with insulin-controlled gestational diabetes

To compare the impact of induction of labor at 38 weeks of gestation with the induction of labor at 40 weeks of gestation in women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes on maternal and fetal outcome.

In this study 100 pregnant women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes were randomized to either induction of labor at 38 (group I) or 40 weeks (group II) to evaluate the rate of large for gestational age newborns, neonatal hypoglycemia, success rate of deliveries within 48 h and cesarean section rate after induction in both groups.

The difference of large for gestational age newborns was not significant between the two groups (6.8% vs. 12.8%, p = 0.49), 16 (36.4%) newborns in group I and 8 (17.0%) newborns in group II developed hypoglycemia <35 mg/dl (p = 0.04). The success rate for deliveries within 48 h after induction of labor for groups I and II was 77.3% and 92.3%, respectively (p = 0.25). The cesarean section rate after induction of labor was not significantly different between the two groups (24.1% vs. 18.7%, p = 0.49).

In a cohort of women with insulin-treated gestational diabetes, induction of labor at 38 weeks did not significantly reduce the rate of large for gestational age newborns compared to induction at 40 weeks but seems to increase the rate of neonatal hypoglycemia.