In this large retrospective cohort study, we aimed to investigate whether diet-controlled GDM among pregnancies achieved after fertility treatments carries a substantial risk for maternal obstetrical complications and adverse perinatal outcomes. Diet-controlled GDM pregnancies conceived after fertility treatments were found to be associated with higher rates of pregnancy and delivery complications, including hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, polyhydramnios, labor induction and CD. However, diet-controlled GDM does not appear to increase the rates of complications that are specifically associated with GDM such as shoulder dystocia and LGA. While our findings suggest associations between diet-controlled GDM and certain perinatal outcomes, we acknowledge the limitations of observational data. The results should not be directly translated into broad clinical recommendations without further validation through randomized controlled trials. These findings primarily serve as a basis for future research to investigate the mechanisms and outcomes in more detail.
Our study also found a significantly lower gestational age at birth and higher rates of labor induction in the diet-controlled GDM group. These findings may reflect the closer monitoring and active management strategies commonly applied in diet-controlled GDM pregnancies, where early interventions, including induction of labor, are sometimes preferred to avoid potential complications. However, this practice may also increase the risk of preterm birth. Future studies are needed to explore whether these early interventions offer significant benefits over a more conservative approach, particularly in well diet-controlled GDM pregnancies.
Several studies have investigated the association between subfertility and pregnancy/perinatal complications. While in the general population the incidence of GDM is around 5-7% of pregnancies [9], Zhai et. Al [14] found that pregnancies conceived by ART were associated with a significantly increased rates of GDM (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.56–2.27). They compared the incidence of pregnancy complications in relation to different types of ART, including IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). They have found that women who conceived following IVF were more likely to develop GDM (8.2% vs. 4.6%, p<0.01) compared with pregnancies that were conceived spontaneously. Furthermore, women who underwent ICSI showed a higher incidence of GDM (8.6% vs. 4.6%, p<0.0) than the control group.
Likewise, Holst et al. [15] found that women with fertility problems had a 41% higher statistically significant increase in the risk of GDM (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.33-1.50) [15]. Our results demonstrated that 10.23% of women who conceived after fertility treatments had diet-controlled GDM. These findings emphasize that women who conceive following fertility treatments should be strongly advised to have close medical supervision for the early detection of GDM in order to ensure optimal diabetes control and favorable pregnancy and delivery outcomes.
Several studies have investigated the association between GDM and preeclampsia and CD [16-17]. However, those studies compared between women with and without fertility treatment regarding GDM. Cosson et al. [16] showed that GDM among women conceived after fertility treatments was associated with higher rates of preeclampsia and CD than those with GDM who conceived without fertility treatments. Recently, a retrospective cohort study of Ganer Herman et al. [17] also reported that in singleton deliveries with a diagnosis of GDM among IVF pregnancies, a significant higher incidence of preeclampsia was demonstrated in the IVF group (17.3%) compared to the non-IVF group. This data is consistent with our findings showing higher rates of preeclampsia among the diet-controlled GDM group, reaching a rate of 10.8% in women following both OI and IVF treatments.
However, in the same study by Ganer Herman et al. [17] no difference was noted in the rate of CD between the study groups, while in our study there was a higher rate of CD in the diet-controlled GDM group. The CD rates in our study (40.8% in the study group vs. 31.9% in the control group) were lower than those reported in similar studies (e.g., Ganer Herman et al. reported CD rates exceeding 70%) [17]. This difference may be attributed to variations in clinical management practices. In Israel, where our study was conducted, guidelines for the management of GDM pregnancies may be more conservative, with a higher threshold for recommending CD, especially in diet-controlled GDM cases where diabetes is well-controlled. Additionally, regional practices regarding labor management and physician decision-making may differ from other countries where more liberal use of CD is observed. For example, our institution tends to prioritize vaginal delivery unless there are clear indications for CD, which could account for the lower rates in our study population. Nevertheless, in the current study and in the study of Ganer Herman et al. [17], no differences in placental abruption, birth weight, or low Apgar score were detected between the groups. Furthermore, no differences in the need for blood transfusion, episiotomy and shoulder dystocia have been noticed between groups in our study.
Although previous studies considered GDM as a major public health problem associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality [18-19], recent studies demonstrated that there is no elevated risk for perinatal mortality among pregnancies with diet-controlled GDM [20-21]. However, time of GDM presentation may have influence on perinatal outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 cohort studies compared clinical characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of early diagnosed and treated GDM women (< 24 weeks of gestation) with women who were diagnosed and treated late in pregnancy (24–28 weeks of gestation). The review has shown that early-onset GDM women had a significantly higher likelihood of perinatal mortality (RR 3.58 [1.91, 6.71]) [22].
As far as we know, no previous research investigated the perinatal mortality rate in diet-controlled GDM women who conceived after fertility treatment. Interestingly, our study found that diet-controlled GDM pregnancies were associated with lower perinatal mortality compared to the control group (0.3% vs. 1.2%, p=0.04), which persisted even after controlling for potentially relevant clinical confounders. This finding may be explained by the intensive monitoring and close management typically provided to women undergoing ART. Women with diet-controlled GDM who conceived via ART are likely to receive more frequent prenatal visits, tighter glucose control, and early intervention when complications arise, which could result in better outcomes. Furthermore, the nature of diet-controlled GDM may inherently pose a lower risk compared to GDMA2, where insulin is required. In this context, the comprehensive care provided to these women may mitigate the risks typically associated with ART, leading to improved perinatal outcomes. In our study, diet-controlled GDM pregnancies demonstrated a lower risk of perinatal mortality, likely due to the intensive monitoring and management that women undergoing fertility treatments typically receive. This includes more frequent prenatal visits, closer glucose monitoring, and early interventions when complications arise. However, it is essential to consider that over-intervention, such as increased rates of labor induction, may not always lead to better outcomes. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal balance between monitoring and intervention in diet-controlled GDM pregnancies, ensuring that care is both proactive and judicious. Another potential explanation is that women undergoing ART may have heightened awareness and motivation to adhere to medical advice and lifestyle changes, given the difficulty they faced in achieving pregnancy. This increased engagement with healthcare professionals could play a role in reducing complications, including perinatal mortality.
In this study, we used multivariate regression models to control for known confounders, including maternal age, parity, hypertensive disorders, previous cesarean deliveries, and neonatal birth weight. However, we recognize that the relatively small sample size may limit the ability to fully exclude the influence of confounding factors. While our findings are robust within the scope of the data analyzed, further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to confirm these results and better understand potential interactions between these confounders.
In recent decades, the rising rate of CD has been a major source of concern worldwide. CD can reduce maternal/neonatal mortality, but high rate of CD may be associated with an increased risk of severe maternal outcomes such as, Intensive Care Unit admission, blood transfusion, hysterectomy and even maternal mortality [23]. Previous studies reported an increased CD rate among GDM women compared with that of euglycemic women, especially with non-elective indications [24-26]. Higher CD rates may be due to macrosomia or changes in the obstetrical management due to the knowledge that the mother has GDM [24-25]. Several characteristics have been identified as risk factors for CD in women with GDM, including advanced maternal age, nulliparity, obesity and insulin use[27]. In addition, induction of labor is known to be associated with an increased risk of CD[26]. According to our findings, diet-controlled GDM women had greater rates of CD (aOR=1.24, 95%Cl 1.02-1.50, P=0.03), which persisted after controlling for potentially confounders including nulliparity, neonatal weight, maternal age, previous CD and induction of labor. Our hypothesis is that the presence of GDM in pregnant women, especially those who conceived after fertility treatments, may influence obstetrical practice and reduce the threshold for surgical delivery. Thus, patterns of physician decision making contributed to the higher rated of CDs among our study population. Further assessment of the mode of delivery is needed to determine the optimal obstetrical care for this specific patient population.
Our study has several limitations. At first, its retrospective design allows us only to establish proof of association, but not causation. In addition, while we took steps to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the data, the reliance on a single-center study over a long study period (1996–2016) may introduce potential biases, including regional-specific practices and changes in clinical management over time. The data were collected retrospectively, and although we implemented thorough cross-checking and review processes, there remains the possibility of missing or incomplete data that could affect our findings.
Additionally, since our study was conducted at a single tertiary medical center, the findings may not be generalizable to other populations, particularly those outside of Israel or in different healthcare settings. Multi-center studies would provide a broader perspective and help verify whether the associations observed in our study are consistent across diverse populations.
Another limitation is the long duration of years that were included in the database. Possible changes in diagnosis and treatment may have occurred during a follow-up period of 20 years. This may include changes in diet-controlled GDM screening and diagnosis and changes in treatments and blood glucose targets. However, since we focused only on the subcategory of diet-controlled GDM and there has been no change in its classification as diet-only controlled GDM over the years, it is less probable that patients were misclassified.
Our study has several notable strengths. Our results are based on a computerized database, which included a large cohort of patients, from a single tertiary medical center, thereby decreasing the likelihood of incorrect outcome data. Moreover, our dataset combines maternal and neonatal data, thus enabling us to control for many pregnancy and delivery variables.
In conclusion, While our findings highlight the increased risk of CD, hypertensive disorders, and polyhydramnios in diet-controlled GDM pregnancies achieved via fertility treatments, they also suggest that with appropriate monitoring, perinatal mortality can be minimized. Clinicians should consider more intensive glucose monitoring and earlier interventions for hypertensive disorders in this population. However, our results also indicate that with well diet-controlled GDM, the risk of perinatal mortality can be reduced, suggesting that overly aggressive interventions may not always be necessary. Targeted prenatal care protocols that focus on early detection of hypertensive disorders, vigilant fetal monitoring, and optimizing maternal glucose control could improve outcomes. Clinicians should remain vigilant but avoid unnecessary cesarean deliveries unless medically indicated, as the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes like perinatal mortality appears lower in well diet-controlled GDM pregnancies. Further studies are needed to determine whether the threshold for recommending cesarean delivery in diet-controlled GDM pregnancies should be adjusted, particularly in ART-conceived pregnancies.