Myoinositol Reduces Fetal Growth Restriction Risk by 60 Percent, Suggests Study

While fetal growth restriction affects nearly five to ten percent of pregnancies globally and remains a leading cause of perinatal mortality and long-term adult health issues like cardiovascular disease and neurodevelopmental abnormalities, a critical clinical gap exists regarding effective preventive strategies; therefore, Dr. Ganesh Pandit from Mamta Maternity Hospital and his colleagues conducted the research to evaluate if the insulin-sensitizing properties of myoinositol could effectively mitigate these risks.

Therefore, the retrospective cohort study analyzed three hundred singleton pregnancies at Mamta Maternity Hospital and Apollo Fertility in Mumbai between 2020 and 2024, comparing a group receiving four grams of myoinositol plus 400 micrograms of folic acid against a control group receiving only routine folic acid. To ensure data integrity, the researchers excluded multiple gestations and known genetic or structural fetal abnormalities, focusing on the primary outcome of FGR incidence—diagnosed via Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines—and secondary outcomes including maternal glycaemic control and neonatal health markers.

Key Clinical Findings of the Study Includes:

• Significant Reduction in FGR: The study credited myoinositol with a substantial decrease in the incidence of fetal growth restriction, which dropped to just 4% in the supplemented group compared to 10% in the control population.

• Enhanced Glycemic Control: Patients receiving the supplement demonstrated superior metabolic stability, with a mean glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 5.2% compared to 5.8% in those who did not receive it.

• Improved Glucose Metabolism: The efficacy of the intervention was further evidenced by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, which showed a significantly lower mean value of 115 mg/dL in the myoinositol group versus 135 mg/dL in the controls.

• Reduced Neonatal Complications: Better maternal metabolic conditions translated to healthier newborns, as only 8% of babies in the myoinositol group required neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, compared to a 15% admission rate for the control group.

• Superior Birth Weights: The study also observed that infants in the treatment group achieved a higher mean birth weight of 3.2 kg, whereas the control group averaged 2.8 kg, likely due to improved placental function.

The results suggest that daily supplementation with four grams of myoinositol is a highly effective intervention for preventing FGR and reducing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, ultimately leading to more robust neonatal outcomes.

Thus, the study concludes clinicians may consider integrating myoinositol into early pregnancy regimens as a safe and effective metabolic tool to enhance placental health and safeguard the growth of the fetus.

Although these findings are promising, the retrospective nature and single-center setting of the study suggest that large-scale multicentric clinical trials are needed to further validate these benefits across broader and more diverse patient populations.

Reference:

Pandit G, Raut A, Gulhane S. Efficacy of myoinositol supplementation in reducing foetal growth restriction. Indian Obstet Gynaecol. 2025;15(3):14-17.