| Summary: | <h4>Objective</h4>To assess the efficacy and safety of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in comparison to insulin.<h4>Methods</h4>A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted. The efficacy and safety of OADs in comparison to insulin in GDM patients were explored. Studies were identified by conducting a literature search using the electronic databases of Medline, CENTRAL, CINAHL, LILACS, Scopus and Web of Science in addition to conducting hand search of relevant journals from inception until October 2013.<h4>Results</h4>Thirteen studies involving 2,151 patients met the inclusion criteria. These studies were randomized controlled trials of metformin and glyburide in comparison to insulin therapy. Our results indicated a significant increase in the risk for preterm births (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.04-2.19, p = 0.03) with metformin compared to insulin. However, a significant decrease in the risk for gestational hypertension (RR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31-0.91, p = 0.02) was found. Postprandial glucose levels also decreased significantly in patients receiving metformin (MD, -2.47 mg/dL; 95% CI, -4.00, -0.94, p = 0.002). There was no significant difference between the two groups for the remaining outcomes. There were significant increases in the risks of macrosomia (RR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.18-4.63, p = 0.03) and neonatal hypoglycemia (RR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.27-3.34, p = 0.005) in the glyburide group compared to insulin whereas results for the other analyzed outcomes remained non-significant.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The available evidence suggests favorable effects of metformin in treating GDM patients. Metformin seems to be an efficacious alternative to insulin and a better choice than glyburide especially those with mild form of disease.
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