How yoga affects blood glucose levels in pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes mellitus

Background/Aims Gestational diabetes mellitus is an increasing national health issue affecting approximately 4–5% of pregnancies in the UK. Adequate treatment is key to minimise comorbidities in birthing people and their offspring. There is evidence that yoga can have a range of benefits during low-risk pregnancy. This review's aim was to explore whether yoga can help to reduce blood glucose levels in pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes. Methods This systematic review searched the Ovid databases, Pubmed and CINAHL for randomised controlled trials published at any time that compared a yoga intervention against a control group where blood glucose was measured both before and after the intervention. Results Three papers were selected for analysis, whose combined results showed a greater mean reduction in blood glucose in the intervention arms. Conclusions Midwives can recommend yoga to birthing people with gestational diabetes as a safe form of exercise. Implications for practice Further exploration research is needed in the UK to determine the clinical feasibility of a yoga intervention in pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes.