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Review
. 2020 Dec;16(12):1187-1198.
doi: 10.1080/17425255.2020.1828344. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

An update on the use of inositols in preventing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and neural tube defects (NTDs)

Fabio Facchinetti  1 , Pietro Cavalli  2 , Andrew J Copp  3 , Rosario D'Anna  4 , Eleni Kandaraki  5 , Nicholas D E Greene  3 , Vittorio Unfer  6 ; Experts Group on Inositol in Basic and Clinical Research  7
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

An update on the use of inositols in preventing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and neural tube defects (NTDs)

Fabio Facchinetti et al. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Obstetric history and maternal body composition and lifestyle may be associated with serious complications both for the mother, such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and for the fetus, including congenital malformations such as neural tube defects (NTDs).

Areas covered: In view of the recent knowledge, changes in nutritional and physical activity habits ameliorate glycemic control during pregnancy and in turn improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Recently, a series of small clinical and experimental studies indicated that supplemenation with inositols, a family of insulin sensitizers, was associated with beneficial impact for both GDM and NTDs.

Expert opinion: Herein, we discuss the most significant scientific evidence supporting myo-inositol administration as a prophylaxis for the above-mentioned conditions.

Keywords: D-chiro-inositol (DCI); gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); insulin resistance; myo-inositol (MI); neural tube defects (NTDs); prevention.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest

Vittorio Unfer is employee at Lo. Li. Pharma s.r.l., Rome, Italy. Fabio Facchinetti has been a consultant of the same company. The other authors declare they do not have any potential conflict of interest for the content of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Schematic representation of the effectiveness of MI supplementation in preventing GDM and NTDs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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