Recommendation ID
What are the barriers that women experience to achieving blood glucose targets?
Any explanatory notes
(if applicable)
It is vital for normal fetal development in the first trimester that women with pre-existing diabetes
achieve good blood glucose control both before and during pregnancy. Good control also helps to
prevent macrosomia and other complications in the third trimester in women with pre-existing or
gestational diabetes. Whereas many women manage to achieve blood glucose targets, a proportion of women continue to find it difficult to do so. A number of factors could be involved, such as health beliefs, a poor understanding of the importance of good blood glucose control, an inability to be able to comply with a demanding regimen of blood glucose testing up to 7 times a day, and the need to adjust insulin dosage. A better understanding of the barriers in this cohort of women is needed so that healthcare professionals can work to overcome them. Robust qualitative studies are needed to explore these barriers, with the aim of improving blood glucose control and fetal outcomes in pregnancy for women with pre-existing diabetes and women with gestational diabetes.

Source guidance details

Comes from guidance
Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period
Date issued
February 2015

Other details

Last Reviewed 23/04/2015