Background: The bethametasone (BTM) induced hyperglycemia is not adequately known and managed in diabetic pregnant women.
Objective: To compare the betamethasone-induced hyperglycemia in pregnant women either healthy or with gestational or type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes mellitus).
Material and methods: Forty volunteer pregnant women at risk of premature rupture of membranes who received betamethasone (12 mg i.m. every 24 hours, 2 doses) were divided in four groups (10 women each): G1, healthy; G2, Diet treated diabetes mellitus; G3, Diet plus insulin treated diabetes mellitus; G4, type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with diet (n=6) or diet and insulin (n=4). Pre (p) and 2h-postprandial (pp) capillary blood glucose was measured throughout the day during 5 days of hospitalization. Student't test for independent and dependent samples was used.
Results: G1 had no significant changes in p or pp glucose. In G2 four women required de novo insulin administration while insulin dose was increased 39 to 112% and 26 to 64% in all women in G3 and G4, respectively to maintain p and pp glucose levels <95 mg/dL and < 120 mg/dL, respectively. The greatest changes occurred between days 2 to 4 after betamethasone.
Conclusion: Betamethasone-induced hyperglycemia was greater in insulin treated women with gestational or type 2 diabetes and should not be administrated on an out-patient basis.