Can a diagnosis of gestational diabetes be an advantage to the outcome of pregnancy?

• Published in: Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation Vol. 2; no. 3; p. 523
• Main Authors: Moses, R G, Griffiths, R D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.1995
• Subjects: Adult; Apgar Score; Birth Weight; Blood Glucose - analysis; Diabetes, Gestational - diagnosis; Diabetes, Gestational - drug therapy; Female; Fetal Macrosomia - epidemiology; Gestational Age; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Infant, Newborn; Insulin - therapeutic use; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy Trimester, Third
• ISSN: 1071-5576
• DOI: 10.1016/1071-5576(94)00060-e

We examined the obstetric outcomes of 138 treated women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with 144 women who had a 2-hour, 75-g glucose tolerance test result of between 7.0 and 7.9 mmol/L (126 and 142 mg/dL, respectively). The subjects for this study were consecutive patients from a universal testing program for GDM during 1993. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed if the 2-hour plasma glucose level was 8.0 mmol/L (144 mg/dL) or greater after a 75-g glucose load in the fasting state. Treated women with GDM had a macrosomia rate of 8.0%, which was significantly less (P < .02) than the rate of 17.4% in the "normal" women. Treated women with GDM had a 2.2% rate of fetuses weighing less than 2500 g, which was significantly lower (P = .05) than the 6.9% rate for normal women. Overall, insulin therapy was used in 23.2% of the women with GDM, and no insulin-treated woman had either a macrosomic fetus or a fetus weighing less than 2500 g. Treated women with GDM, particularly those who receive insulin, have a more favorable fetal outcome than women who have a glucose result between 7.0 and 7.9 mmol/L (126 and 142 mg/dL). These results suggest that the current diagnostic criteria for GDM, with respect to fetal outcomes, may need revision, and an additional subgroup of pregnant women may benefit from dietary advice.