Preventive Methods to Reduce The Risk of Gestational Diabetes Onset: A Narrative Literature Review

Background/Objectives: Gestational diabetes (GD), affecting approximately 15% of pregnancies globally, presents significant risks to both maternal and fetal health. This highlights the urgent need for effective prevention and management strategies. This review aims to synthesize existing literature to identify and evaluate effective interventions for GD prevention. Methods: A narrative review was conducted in September 2024, searching four biomedical databases: PubMed-Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Results: Eleven studies were included, encompassing systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews. Key findings indicate that dietary interventions, especially the Medi-terranean diet (risk reduction of 15%-38%), and physical activity (28%-36% risk reduction) are among the most effective strategies for preventing GD. Supplementation with probiotics and myo-inositol has also demon-strated significant reductions in GD risk, with up to 60% risk reduction for probiotics and 50%-70% for myo-inositol. Pharmacological interventions, such as metformin, show promise but require further evaluation for safety and efficacy in pregnancy. Conclusions: Interventions such as dietary modifications, physical activity, and supplementation with probiotics and myo-inositol are effective in preventing GD. However, further re-search is needed to establish standardized protocols, especially regarding pharmacological treatments and long-term outcomes for both mothers and infants