Treating gestational diabetes before 20 weeks cuts the risk of neonatal respiratory distress by a fifth compared with intervention later in pregnancy, Australian doctors report. 

The Western Sydney University–led team also found a significantly lower rate of severe perineal injuries between women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) treated early versus those treated at 24-28 weeks’ gestation.

Their first-of-its-kind international study included some 800 women (mean age 32) with a risk factor for hyperglycaemia and GDM diagnosis before 20 weeks’ gestation. 

Participants were randomly assigned to the immediate treatment group or control group, which included deferred or no treatment based on repeat oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results at 24-28 weeks as currently recommended.