Comparative Analysis of structured lifestyle intervention versus Standard Care in gestational diabetes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22812634Keywords:
gestational diabetes, lifestyle intervention, standard care, glycemic control, pregnancy outcomesAbstract
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects a substantial proportion of pregnancies worldwide and raises the risk of macrosomia, caesarean delivery, and later maternal type 2 diabetes. Structured lifestyle intervention programmes combining individualised dietary counselling, supervised physical activity, and structured glucose monitoring have increasingly been compared against standard antenatal care for glycaemic and obstetric outcomes.
Objective: This comparative analysis synthesizes randomized and quasi-randomized evidence contrasting structured lifestyle intervention with standard care in women with or at risk of GDM, focusing on maternal glycaemic control, gestational weight gain, and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: Trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses addressing structured dietary, exercise, and combined lifestyle programmes in GDM were synthesized narratively, with outcome patterns compared descriptively across structured intervention and standard-care arms.
Results: Structured lifestyle intervention was consistently associated with lower rates of macrosomia and large-for-gestational-age infants, more favourable gestational weight gain, and modestly improved glycaemic control relative to standard care, with less consistent effects on caesarean delivery and preeclampsia.
Conclusion: Structured lifestyle intervention offers measurable advantages over standard care for glycaemic and selected neonatal outcomes in GDM, supporting its integration into routine antenatal management alongside individualised risk stratification.
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