OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate whether 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate use in preventing preterm birth increases the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

DATA SOURCES:

Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, ClinicalTrials. gov, PROSPERO, EMBASE, Scielo and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched for studies published before October 2018. Keywords included “gestational diabetes,”“preterm birth,”“pregnancy,” and “17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate.”

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION:

Studies comparing 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate with unexposed control groups in women with singleton gestation and a history of a prior spontaneous preterm birth were included. The primary outcome was the development of GDM. Secondary outcomes included abnormal 1-hour, 50-g glucose screen results and mean venous blood glucose levels. Summary estimates were reported as mean differences and 95% CI for continuous variables or relative risk (RR) with 95% CI for dichotomous outcomes. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model of DerSimonian and Laird.