Interventions to enhance pre-pregnancy care for women with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Aims: The aim of the study was to examine the content and impact of interventions that have been used to increase the uptake of pre-pregnancy care for women with type 2 diabetes, and their impact on maternal and fetal outcomes. Methods: A systematic search of multiple databases was conducted in November 2021, and updated July 2022, to identify studies assessing interventions to enhance pre-pregnancy care for women with type 2 diabetes. Over 10% of articles were screened by two reviewers at title and abstract phase, after which all selected full-text articles were screened by two reviewers. Quality assessment was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for cohort studies. Meta-analysis was not possible due to study heterogeneity; therefore, narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: Four eligible cohort studies were identified. The conclusions able to be drawn by this review were limited as women with type 2 diabetes (n = 800) were in the minority in all four studies (35%–40%) and none of the interventions were exclusively tailored for them. The uptake of pre-pregnancy care was lower in women with type 2 diabetes (8%–10%) compared with other participant groups in the studies. Pregnancy preparation indicators generally improved among all groups exposed to pre-pregnancy care, with varying impact on pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: This review demonstrates that previous interventions have had a limited impact on pre-pregnancy care uptake in women with type 2 diabetes. Future studies should focus on tailored interventions for improving pre-pregnancy care for women with type 2 diabetes, particularly those from ethnic minorities and living in poorer communities.