Status of Hemoglobin A1C Among Pregnant in Comparison to Non-Pregnant Women in Rajshahi City

Abstract

Background: The time a fetus develops inside a woman's uterus is known as pregnancy, and it typically lasts for 40 weeks. To maximize the benefits of pregnancy, good glycemic control must be maintained throughout. Methods: This cross-sectional type of comparative study was carried out in the Department of Physiology in Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi and data were collected from the Maternity and Child Welfare Centre (MCWC), Rajshahi over a period of 1 year from January 2019 to December 2019 among the pregnant and non-pregnant women to assess the hemoglobin A1c during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Prior to the commencement of the study approval was taken from the Ethical Review Committee (ERC). A semi-structured questionnaire and laboratory support were used to gather information from 120 women by convenient sampling technique. Results: The results showed that plasma HbA1c was 4.8 ± 0.4% in pregnant women and 5.6 ± 0.5% in non-pregnant women and it was statistically highly significant (p < 0.001). So, regular monitoring of HbA1c in pregnant women should be done to avoid adverse pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: The study indicated that nondiabetic women with pregnancy had significantly lower HbA1c compared with non-pregnant women.