The Effect of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants Treatment on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Outcome: A Scoping Review

Diagnosing a pregnant woman's glucose intolerance is referred to as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Diabetes has been linked to enhanced oxidative stress. In this condition, oxidative stress may damage nucleic acids, fats, and proteins, which in turn affects cell and tissue functions. The present study highlights the relationship between oxidative stress and GDM, with a particular focus on the role of hyperglycemia-induced processes during reactive oxygen species (ROS) oversupply, followed by it discusses the oxidative stress biomarkers and assesses the effects of antioxidant supplements on glycemic control, inflammatory processes, and oxidative stress among individuals with GDM. Two reviewers conducted a comprehensive literature search utilizing the PubMed (R), Web of Science (TM), and Scopus (R) databases. Only items published in the English language up until June 2024 were taken into account. We conducted a thorough search of research databases to identify articles that had the terms "oxidative stress" or "antioxidant" and "GDM". From this search, we selected 55 relevant papers to be included in this narrative review. Pregnancy-induced hypertension, postpartum bleeding, lower birth weight, a higher risk of hyperbilirubinemia in their neonates, fetal growth retardation, and birth asphyxia were revealed to be outcomes of women enduring major oxidative stress during pregnancy. Furthermore, tight glycemic control both before and throughout pregnancy as well as oxidative stress treatment may help women highly prone to GDM.