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Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate Drink for Elective Cesarean Delivery and the Effect on Insulin Sensitivity

Preoperative Oral Carbohydrate Drink for Elective Cesarean Delivery and the Effect on Insulin Sensitivity

Status
Terminated
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03494868
Enrollment
19
Registered
2018-04-11
Start date
2019-03-13
Completion date
2025-04-29
Last updated
2025-05-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insulin Sensitivity

Brief summary

Preoperative fasting and surgery can cause metabolic stress and insulin resistance. Oral carbohydrate loading has been shown to attenuate the development of insulin resistance in the non-pregnant population undergoing many different types of surgery. Pregnant women have an increase in insulin resistance and therefore may further benefit from a preoperative carbohydrate load prior to cesarean delivery. Although woman in the UK receive a carbohydrate drink prior to elective cesarean delivery, the metabolic effects of these drinks on the mother and neonate have not been evaluated.

Detailed description

Preoperative fasting and surgery can cause metabolic stress and insulin resistance. Perioperative insulin resistance results in hyperglycemia which can lead to increased infectious complications, morbidity, and mortality.2,3 Significant research has occurred in the non-pregnant population utilizing preoperative oral carbohydrate loading to attenuate the development of insulin resistance. In a recent meta-analysis, Awad and colleagues 2 found that a preoperative carbohydrate drink may be associated with reduced length of stay and a reduction in postoperative insulin resistance in patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. Approximately 1.3 million women undergo cesarean delivery (CD) annually in the United States. 4 CD is the most common inpatient surgery in the United States. In the UK, there are recommendations to implement enhanced recovery after obstetric surgery. Implementation of enhanced recovery supports the National Health Service Quality, Innovation, Productivity, and Prevention programme with the aim of improving quality of care while reducing costs. As part of the enhanced recovery pathway, pregnant women are receiving a preoperative carbohydrate drink. There is a paucity of research looking at the metabolic effects of this carbohydrate load in the pregnant woman and her neonate.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTCarbohydrate Drink

2 - 12 oz drinks

Sponsors

Mayo Clinic
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion: * ASA physical status II-III women presenting for scheduled, elective cesarean delivery under neuraxial anesthesia * Singleton gestation at term (37-42 weeks) * Ages 18-50 Exclusion: * Preexisting diabetes (Gestational diabetes, Type I DM, Type II DM) * Taking insulin-sensitizing or other medications known to influence glucose or fatty acid metabolism. * Kidney, heart, or liver disease. Severe lipid disorders. * History of bariatric surgery * Pre-pregnancy BMI \>40 * Prolonged period of time (\>4 hours) between ingestion of carbohydrate drink and surgery * Four or more repeat cesarean sections

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Oral glucose tolerance test24 hours postoperativelyglucose, insulin

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026