TITLE:
Clinical Empirical Study on Synergistic Intervention Mode of Diet and Exercise for Pregnancy Risk and Maternal-Infant Outcomes in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
AUTHORS:
Shishu Cai, Yali Pan, Qiuyan Liang, Chunluan Gu, Hongzhen Deng, Haimin Pan
KEYWORDS:
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Dietary Intervention, Low-Resistance Exercise, Glucose Metabolism, Pregnancy Outcome, Maternal and Infant Safety
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.16 No.7,
July
10,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of synergistic intervention combining individualized dietary management and low-resistance exercise in regulating glucose metabolism, reducing gestational complications and improving maternal-infant pregnancy outcomes among patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A total of 70 pregnant women diagnosed with GDM who underwent antenatal registration and delivery in our hospital from January 2025 to May 2026 were enrolled. This study adopted a prospective randomized controlled design. All participants were enrolled, assessed at baseline and received intervention at 24 - 28 gestational weeks, then randomly divided into control group and observation group via random number table, with 35 subjects in each group. The control group received routine obstetric health education and general dietary guidance, while the observation group was supplemented with synergistic intervention consisting of individualized low-glycemic-index (low-GI) dietary regimen and standardized low-resistance exercise prescription on the basis of conventional care. Insulin and other hypoglycemic medications used during pregnancy were recorded and compared between two groups. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusted for baseline values and comparison of changes from baseline were applied to evaluate the intervention effect. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2-hour postprandial blood sugar (PBS) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) before and after intervention, incidence of gestational complications, neonatal birth weight, Apgar score and rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes were compared between two cohorts. Results: Baseline data including age, gestational age, gravidity-parity status, education background, comorbidities, FBS, PBS and HbA1c showed no statistically significant intergroup differences before intervention (P > 0.05), indicating comparable baseline characteristics. No significant difference was found in the use of hypoglycemic drugs between the two groups. After intervention, the control group had significantly lower FBS level than the observation group (t = −3.213, P = 0.002), whereas PBS and HbA1c had no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05). Intra-group comparison revealed that FBS and PBS were markedly decreased post-intervention in control group (P P P > 0.05). No statistical disparities were identified in the incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational obesity, anemia, premature rupture of membranes and postpartum hemorrhage between groups (P > 0.05). Tested by continuity-corrected chi-square test, neonatal birth weight, Apgar score and incidences of preterm birth, macrosomia, fetal growth restriction and overall adverse pregnancy outcomes presented no intergroup statistical differences (P > 0.05). Conclusion: This study failed to confirm that the combined diet and low-resistance exercise intervention was superior to routine intervention in improving fasting blood glucose of GDM patients. Both interventions could effectively reduce postprandial blood glucose. This combined regimen cannot statistically reduce the incidence of gestational complications and adverse maternal-infant outcomes. It can only be regarded as an exploratory auxiliary strategy for GDM prenatal management, and widespread clinical promotion is not recommended temporarily.