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# Prenatal myo-inositol supplements may cut gestational diabetes mellitus risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/myo-inositol_gestational_diabetes_mellitus_1116131150/
- Published: 2013-11-16T12:49:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:26:43.000Z
- Description: In a randomized trial, 110 pregnant women with a family history of type 2 diabetes took myo-inositol with folic acid from the end of the first trimester; 6% developed gestational diabetes versus 15.3% of controls. Fetal macrosomia also fell.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Saturday Nov 16, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Gestational diabetes mellitus is common and it can affect the pregnant woman and her baby. A new study in Diabetes Care suggests that taking prenatal myo-inositol supplements may significantly reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and risk of macrosomia in the babies .

Rosario D’Anna from Department of Gynecological and Obstetrical Sciences. University of Messina in Messina, Italy and colleagues conducted the 2-year prospective randomized open-label placebo controlled trial to test supplementation with 2 grams of myo inositol plus 200 ug folic acid twice a day starting at the end of the first trimester to see how it affects the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women with a family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

For the trial, 110 pregnant women took 2 grams of myo- inositol plus 200 ug of folic acid twice a day and 110 pregnant women took 200 ug of folic acid twice per day as controls.

As a result, incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus was 6% in the study group taking the myo-inositol supplement, compared to 15.3 percent in those who took placebo. That means that myo-inositol supplementation reduced the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus by 65%.

The myo-inositol supplement was found also to reduce fetal macrosomia and mean fetal weight at delivery.

Gestational diabetes mellitus affects an estimated 3 to 10% of pregnancies. Some studies suggest that this condition is a natural but not pathological phenomenon in some women. However, this condition can affect both the mother and baby if blood sugar is well controlled. Babies born to mothers suffering gestional diabetes mellitus are often bigger than those to mothers who did not experience the condition. After pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus may become type 2 diabetes if not well controlled during the pregnancy.

The researchers concluded "myo-Inositol supplementation in pregnant women with a family history of type 2 diabetes may reduce GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus) incidence and the delivery of macrosomia fetuses." (David Liu, PHD)