Addressing the Emotional Side of Diabetes During Pregnancy: A Scoping Review With Implications for Intervention

Pregnant people with type 1 diabetes often experience considerable emotional distress when striving for tight glucose management, managing the changes in insulin sensitivity over the three trimesters, adjusting to the real risks of hypoglycemia, and dealing with a myriad of frightening feelings and pregnancy-related experiences. Thus, pregnancy-related emotional distress during the perinatal period can have profound implications for maternal and child health and well-being over time. This article provides a comprehensive description of the subjective experience of pregnancy-related emotional distress reported by many women with type 1 diabetes, reviews options for its practical assessment in clinical care, and outlines strategies for intervention.