Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Pregnancy: Past to Present

Abstract

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is extremely important for patients with diabetes mellitus, in order to gain a better understanding of their blood glucose levels throughout their day-to-day activities and to help determine their insulin requirements. Nowhere is this more crucial than in the pregnancies complicated by diabetes. Blood glucose control in pregnancies complicated by diabetes directly determines the well-being of both the mother and infant. In its beginning, blood glucose monitoring was burdensome, difficult, and imprecise, often resulting in poor outcomes, including early termination. Pregnancies complicated by diabetes often produced offspring who suffered from a variety of complications, including congenital malformations, macrosomia, and complications related to birth trauma. Over time, SMBG has become increasingly simplified with the dawn of accurate and convenient monitoring devices whose operation is easily taught and performed. Being able to accurately record daily blood glucose measurements and their fluctuations is vital to assessing the level of control and to prescribing optimal insulin regimens in order to minimize these complications. This review article traces the history of SMBG and its utility in pregnancies complicated by diabetes.