Clinical diagnosis of gestational diabetes

Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Dec;56(4):774-87. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0b013e3182a8e029.

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis remains controversial. ACOG criteria are based on the long-term risk of maternal diabetes. ADA recently suggested diagnosing GDM with 1 elevated value on an oral glucose tolerance test based on a 1.75-fold risk of large-for-gestational age infants resulting in a 17.8% rate of GDM. Given the lack of neonatal-based outcomes for the traditional position and problems of reproducibility and benefit/harm balance of the ADA approach, an alternative is presented herein based on a 2-fold risk of a large-for-gestational age baby, requiring 2 separate abnormalities to reduce false positives giving a more balanced benefit/harm ratio (10% GDM rate).

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Diabetes, Gestational / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Fetal Macrosomia / diagnosis
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Humans
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Pregnancy