Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025

Improving IV Insulin Administration in a Community Hospital
Published on: June 11, 2012
Supported Open-Source Automated Insulin Delivery for Management of Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy
Kate Hawke1,2, Maryam Kabootari1, Tom Elliott1,3
1BCDiabetes, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Background:
The tight glycemia required to optimize type 1 diabetes (T1D) pregnancy outcomes is difficult to achieve with standard insulin therapies. Automated insulin delivery (AID) offers an avenue to improve glycemia, but most available systems are not configurable to tight pregnancy glucose targets. Open-source AID may meet the needs of some pregnant women with T1D, but available data on its efficacy and safety in pregnancy are limited.
Methods:
This single-center retrospective study describes the glycemic and obstetric outcomes of pregnancies in which supported open-source AID (SOSAID) was used. Included patients had a pregnancy managed on SOSAID at BCDiabetes between January 2023 and October 2024 and consented for inclusion of their clinical data. Charts were reviewed to obtain comprehensive glycemic data, obstetric outcomes, and adverse events.
Results:
Ten patients, mean age 33 years, had a mean pre-pregnancy A1c of 6.7% (range 5.8%-8.0%). There were no episodes of DKA or severe hypoglycemia. Mean time-in-range (TIR63-140 mg/dL) was 68% in trimester 2 and 70% in trimester 3. Seven patients commenced SOSAID during pregnancy, with their median 14-day TIR rising from 52% pre-SOSAID to 71% immediately after commencing SOSAID. There were no perinatal deaths or congenital anomalies. Pre-term delivery occurred in 1/10 and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy occurred in 2/10 women. Birthweight above 4 kg was present in 3/10, and neonatal hypoglycemia occurred in 4/10.
Conclusions:
SOSAID systems represent a promising tool for managing T1D in pregnancy and were successful in reaching target pregnancy glycemia in this single-center cohort.
Related Concept Videos
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Insulin Formulations: Types and Delivery
Short-acting insulins are divided into...
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Insulin: Dosing Regimen and Adverse Effects
The basal dose constitutes about 40%-50% of the total daily dose, with the rest as premeal insulin. The mealtime insulin dose should mirror...
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...

