Aim: This study aimed to examine if addition of metformin to insulin is an effective alternative to insulin alone for women with type I Diabetes Mellitus to lower insulin dose, hospital stay, maternal and neonatal complications, particularly in a resource-poor setting.
Materials and Methods: Our randomized controlled trial included eighty patients, who were recruited into two equal groups; group A treated with metformin and insulin and group B treated with insulin alone, in Cairo and Beni-suef University Hospitals.
Results: We found that metformin plus insulin group (Group A) showed significant outcomes regarding shorted hospital stay, lower insulin dose and lower maternal weight gain (p values 0.04, 0.02, 0.03, respectively). Most of maternal and neonatal complications were non-significantly lower in group A.
Conclusion: Oral metformin therapy is an effective and safe additional treatment option for women with type I diabetes during pregnancy to lower the insulin requirements, hospital stay and most maternal-fetal complications in settings with limited economic resources.