Management of postprandial hyperglycaemia and weight gain in women with gestational diabetes mellitus using a novel telemonitoring system

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of remotely delivered telemedicine dietary advice on monitoring of blood glucose levels and weight gain of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods Women with GDM were recruited and randomly allocated into two groups: a Tele-GDM group that received a telemonitoring device, and a control group that was followed-up traditionally. A telemonitoring service calculated the ratio of reaching or exceeding the pregnancy weight gain target (according to pre-pregnancy weight), following Institute of Medicine guidelines for healthy pregnancy weight gain. Results The sample comprised 27 women in the Tele-GDM group and 30 in the control group. At the end of pregnancy, the Tele-GDM group showed significantly lower 2-hour postprandial glucose levels than the control group. Most women in the Tele-GDM group reached their recommended range of weight gain at the end of pregnancy. Additionally, the Tele-GDM group showed significantly lower weight gain than the control group. Conclusions Telemonitoring can facilitate close monitoring of women with GDM and motivate patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle.