Practise of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose Among Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Background: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is defined as glucose intolerance of varying degree diagnosed first time during the pregnancy. Blood glucose values revert to the normal level soon after the delivery. But the women carry a lifetime risk of getting overt diabetes within 5 years. The management of GDM mainly comprises of medical nutrition therapy, exercise, weight management and Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG). Among all the management components, SMBG is the mostly neglected especially among pregnant women with GDM.Overall, the practise of SMBG in developing nation like India is not up to the mark. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the practice of SMBG amongst the pregnant women with GDM. The study was conducted in the antenatal OPD of Queen Mary’s Hospital KGMU, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Methodology: It was a quasi experimentalstudy on 188 pregnant women with GDM managed on life style intervention. Statistical analysis:Descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages were used to analyse the sociodemographicfactors. ANOVA was applied to compare the mean score between the two groups. Result: The overall adherence to the SMBG practice was found to be very low among the study participants. No significant difference was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: Patient empowerment and imparting proper information regarding SMBG may be helpful in managing the GDM with better maternal and foetal outcomes.