Gestational diabetes mellitus: does it recur in subsequent pregnancy?

Maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The aim of the study was to evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcomes in women with recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), compared to women with GDM.

METHODS

This prospective observational cohort study was done on multiparous women with GDM attending the two tertiary care hospitals. Subjects were divided into two groups, recurrent GDM and GDM. Demographics, clinical variables, and maternal and neonatal outcomes were recorded between the two groups. The postpartum glycemic status was determined at six months.

RESULTS

There were 36 (20.2%) women with recurrent GDM and 142 (79.8%) women with GDM. Women with recurrent GDM were older (32.4 ± 6.2 versus 29.8 ± 5.6 years), had higher frequency of obesity, and insulin resistance than women with GDM. Women with recurrent GDM had poor glycemia at diagnosis as compared to GDM. Although the glycemic goals achieved were comparable but women with recurrent GDM have increased frequency of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and need for cesarean section. Women with recurrent GDM significantly had higher frequency of large for gestational age (LGA) and macrosomic neonates. Postpartum diabetes at six months was significantly higher in women with recurrent GDM.

CONCLUSION

Women with recurrent GDM are at increased risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes despite achieving optimal glycemic goals and also at the most significant risk of postpartum diabetes.

Protocol for a randomized controlled trial of pre-pregnancy lifestyle intervention to reduce recurrence of gestational diabetes: Gestational Diabetes Prevention/Prevención de la Diabetes Gestacional

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with several maternal complications in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, preterm labor, need for induction of labor, and cesarean delivery as well as increased long-term risks of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Intrauterine exposure to GDM raises the risk for complications in offspring as well, including stillbirth, macrosomia, and birth trauma, and long-term risk of metabolic disease. One of the strongest risk factors for GDM is the occurrence of GDM in a prior pregnancy. Preliminary data from epidemiologic and bariatric surgery studies suggest that reducing body weight before pregnancy can prevent the development of GDM, but no adequately powered trial has tested the effects of a maternal lifestyle intervention before pregnancy to reduce body weight and prevent GDM recurrence.

METHODS

The principal aim of the Gestational Diabetes Prevention/Prevención de la Diabetes Gestacional is to determine whether a lifestyle intervention to reduce body weight before pregnancy can reduce GDM recurrence. This two-site trial targets recruitment of 252 women with overweight and obesity who have previous histories of GDM and who plan to have another pregnancy in the next 1-3 years. Women are randomized within site to a comprehensive pre-pregnancy lifestyle intervention to promote weight loss with ongoing treatment until conception or an educational control group. Participants are assessed preconceptionally (at study entry, after 4 months, and at brief quarterly visits until conception), during pregnancy (at 26 weeks' gestation), and at 6 weeks postpartum. The primary outcome is GDM recurrence, and secondary outcomes include fasting glucose, biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease, prenatal and perinatal complications, and changes over time in weight, diet, physical activity, and psychosocial measures.

DISCUSSION

The Gestational Diabetes Prevention /Prevención de la Diabetes Gestacional is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of a lifestyle intervention delivered before pregnancy to prevent GDM recurrence. If found effective, the proposed lifestyle intervention could lay the groundwork for shifting current treatment practices towards the interconception period and provide evidence-based preconception counseling to optimize reproductive outcomes and prevent GDM and associated health risks.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02763150 . Registered on May 5, 2016.

Predictors of recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus: A Japanese multicenter cohort study and literature review

AIM

To clarify whether maternal characteristics or laboratory parameters could help predict the onset of recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

We enrolled 615 women with consecutive singleton deliveries at or after 28 GW from two perinatal medical centers between 2011 and 2019 and divided them into four groups according to whether they had GDM in the first and second pregnancies. The outcome of this study was to clarify the incidence and the predictors of recurrent GDM.

RESULTS

We found that among 72 women (11.7%) who had GDM during their first pregnancy, the rate of recurrent GDM was 47.2%. The 34 women (5.5%) with recurrent GDM gained significantly less weight in the first and second pregnancies and lost less weight between the first delivery and the second conception compared with those women without GDM in both pregnancies. Of women with GDM during the first pregnancy, 21 scored 2 or 3 (multiple) positive points on a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during their first pregnancies; the GDM recurrence rate among these women (66.7%) was significantly higher than that among the 51 women who scored 1 positive point (39.2%; p = 0.0411). During the first pregnancy, insulin administration therapy was significantly more frequent in women with recurrent GDM than in women without recurrent GDM (23.5% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.0396, respectively).

CONCLUSION

A predictor of recurrent GDM onset was a score of 2 or 3 positive points on the OGTT during the first pregnancy.

Postprandial glycemic control during gestational diabetes pregnancy predicts the risk of recurrence

In this study we aimed to explore the significance of glycemic control during gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pregnancy in predicting recurrence as this is unknown. A retrospective population-based cohort study of women with first diagnosed GDM pregnancy was conducted. A total of 426 women with 4,226 glucose charts were obtained. Daily glucose values were collected from the glucose charts. Non-parametric (LOWESS) regression was used to present the glucose measurements along the gestational weeks. The analyses revealed that the 2-hour postprandial levels among women with GDM recurrence were substantially higher throughout gestation (PR = 1.89 [95% CI: 1.33, 2.73] for every 20 mg/dl increase). In a multivariable log-binomial regression, the mean postprandial glucose was significantly associated with GDM recurrence (p = 0.017) after adjusting for maternal age, family history of diabetes, insulin use, and inter-pregnancy interval (PR = 1.04 [95% CI: 1.01, 1.07]). The study conclusion is that tighter postprandial glycemic control should be considered. Future studies should explore tighter cutoffs of the 2-hour postprandial glucose.

Modifiable risk factors for gestational diabetes recurrence

The literature on risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence is inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. The importance of inter-pregnancy interval and parity, remains unclear. We aimed to explore controversial risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence, especially the modifiable ones, and to develop a prediction model in a cohort of women with gestational diabetes mellitus. A retrospective, population-based, cross-sectional cohort study was performed. The study included 788 women with gestational diabetes mellitus that delivered between 1991-2012 and had consecutive deliveries at a university affiliated hospital in Israel. Women with pre-existing diabetes were excluded. Factors associated with gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence were examined using log-binomial models to estimate prevalence ratios with 95 % confidence intervals. Multivariate analysis revealed that both inter-pregnancy interval and multiparity were significant risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence. Other significant risk factors were maternal age, gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis week, oral glucose tolerance test values, body mass index gain between pregnancies and insulin use; the latter and multiparity had the strongest effect size (PR ≥ 1.2). Among multiparous women, the association between inter-pregnancy interval and gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence was significantly lower (P = 0.0004) compared with primiparous women (PR = 1.11 [95 % CI 1.09-1.13] versus PR = 1.17 [95 % CI 1.15-1.20], respectively). The model we developed, predicts that reducing the inter-pregnancy interval and weight gain between pregnancies can reduce substantially the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence. The results suggest that weight gain and inter-pregnancy interval are modifiable risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence. Our model could assist physicians in advising women with gestational diabetes mellitus in reducing the risk of recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus during subsequent pregnancies.

Windows of Opportunity for Lifestyle Interventions to Prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is linked with several acute maternal health risks and long-term development of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Intrauterine exposure to GDM similarly increases offspring risk of early-life health complications and later disease. GDM recurrence is common, affecting 40 to 73% of women, and augments associated maternal/fetal/child health risks. Modifiable and independent risk factors for GDM include maternal excessive gestational weight gain and prepregnancy overweight and obesity. Lifestyle interventions that target diet, activity, and behavioral strategies can effectively modify body weight. Randomized clinical trials testing the effects of lifestyle interventions during pregnancy to reduce excessive gestational weight gain have generally shown mixed effects on reducing GDM incidence. Trials testing the effects of postpartum lifestyle interventions among women with a history of GDM have shown reduced incidence of diabetes and improved cardiovascular disease risk factors. However, the long-term effects of interpregnancy or prepregnancy lifestyle interventions on subsequent GDM remain unknown. Future adequately powered and well-controlled clinical trials are needed to determine the effects of lifestyle interventions to prevent GDM and identify pathways to effectively reach reproductive-aged women across all levels of society, before, during, and after pregnancy.

Risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence: a meta-analysis

The literature regarding risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) recurrence is inconsistent. We aimed to assess the effect sizes of risk factors of GDM recurrence. We searched electronic databases (1970-2015) and bibliographies for studies that included women with GDM (index pregnancy) who had a consecutive birth. We compared the risk factors among women with and without GDM recurrence. Differences in variables measured on a continuous scale were estimated using the weighted mean difference (WMD). The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to rate the pooled effects. For categorical variables, the pooled odds ratio was estimated. Cochran's Q test of heterogeneity was used to choose the model for estimating the pooled effects. Fourteen cross-sectional cohort studies (63 % with sample size ≥100) were considered. Women with GDM recurrence were older (by 1.32 years; P < 0.0001), heavier (by 1.82 BMI; P = 0.013), had higher 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) levels (Fasting: by 8.42 mg/dl, 1-h: by 13.0 mg/dl, 2-h: by 18.2 mg/dl, 3-h: by 11.3 mg/dl; P < 0.0001 for all) and higher weight gain between pregnancies (by 3.24 kg; P = 0.012). The SMD effect sizes were relatively small (between 0.3 and 0.4), but weight gain between pregnancies had a medium-large effect size (SMD = 0.8). Insulin use, multiparity, and fetal macrosomia were all associated with GDM recurrence (OR 6.3 [95 % CI 3.9-10.2], OR 1.88 [95 % CI 1.09-3.24] and OR 1.63 [95 % CI 1.25-2.13], respectively). GDM recurrence is multifactorial. Stronger risk factors include insulin use, BMI, multiparity, macrosomia, and weight gain between pregnancies.

Early diabetes screening in women with previous gestational diabetes: a new insight

BACKGROUND

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, there is a low return rate for this screening, so it is important to search for earlier methods for evaluation after delivery, to increase the number of pregnant women screened, so you can start the treatment or prevention of these early comorbidities. To determine the accuracy of the 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed between 48-72 h after delivery for the diagnosis of DM using the OGTT after 6 weeks as the gold standard criterion, and to identify the optimal cutoff points for this exam for diabetes screening after a pregnancy complicated by GDM.

METHODS

82 women with previous GDM underwent an OGTT between 48-72 h postpartum and repeated the test 6 weeks after delivery.

RESULTS

The prevalence of DM and prediabetes based on the first OGTT was 3.7 and 32.9 %, respectively, and 8.5 and 20.7 %, respectively, at the second OGTT. For those with DM, the area under the curve (AUC) based on the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 0.77 (95 % CI 0.61-0.92), and based on 2-h OGTT was 0.82 (95 % CI 0.66-0.97). For patients with prediabetes, the AUC based on the FPG was 0.73 (95 % CI 0.59-0.86) and based on the 2-h OGTT was 0.74 (95 % CI 0.61-0.87). Using a FPG cutoff value of 78 mg/dl (4.3 mmol/L) and a 2-h OGTT cutoff value of 130 mg/dl (7.2 mmol/L) for DM, the specificity was 58.7 and 60 %, the sensitivity was 71.4 and 85.7 %, the positive predictive value was 13.9 and 16.7 and the negative predictive value was 95.7 and 97.9 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

OGTT performed early in postpartum is a useful tool for identifying women with previous GDM who must perform an OGTT 6 weeks after delivery.

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus recurrence--effect of ethnicity and parity: a metaanalysis

Reports on the gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) recurrence rate have been highly variable. Our objectives were to examine the possible causes of GDM recurrence rate variability and to obtain pooled estimates in subgroups. We have carried out a systematic review and metaanalysis based on the Metaanalysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement. We identified papers published from 1973 to September 2014. We identified papers using Medline (PubMed and Ovid), ClinicalTrials.gov and Google Scholar databases, and published references. We included only English-language, population-based studies that reported specified GDM criteria and GDM recurrence rate. A total of 18 eligible studies with 19,053 participants were identified. We used the Cochrane's Q test of heterogeneity to choose the model for estimating the pooled GDM recurrence rate. Metaregression was also used to explore the possible causes of variability between studies. The pooled GDM recurrence rate was 48% (95% confidence interval, 41-54%). A significant association between ethnicity and GDM recurrence rate was found (P = .02). Non-Hispanic whites had lower recurrence rate compared with other ethnicities (39% and 56%, respectively). Primiparous women had a lower recurrence rate compared with multiparous women (40% and 73%, respectively; P < .0001) No evidence for association between family history of diabetes and GDM recurrence was found. The overall GDM recurrence rate is high. Non-Hispanic whites and primiparous women have substantially lower GDM recurrence rates, which contributes to the variability between studies. Because no association between family history of diabetes and GDM recurrence was found, the large differences between ethnic groups may have also resulted from nongenetic factors. Thus, intervention programs could reduce the GDM recurrence rates.

Exercise guidelines for gestational diabetes mellitus

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. This disease has many detrimental consequences for the woman, the unborn foetus and child. The management of GDM aims to mediate the effects of hyperglycaemia by controlling blood glucose levels. Along with pharmacology and dietary interventions, exercise has a powerful potential to assist with blood glucose control. Due to the uncertainty of risks and benefits of exercise during pregnancy, women tend to avoid exercise. However, under adequate supervision exercise is both safe and beneficial in the treatment of GDM. Therefore it is vital that exercise is incorporated into the continuum of care for women with GDM. Medical doctors should be able to refer to competently informed exercise professionals to aid in GDM treatment. It is important that exercise treatment is informed by research. Hence, the development of evidence-based guidelines is important to inform practice. Currently there are no guidelines for exercise in GDM. This review aims to assess the efficacy of exercise for the management of GDM in order to establish an exercise prescription guideline specific to the condition. It is recommended that women with GDM should do both aerobic and resistance exercise at a moderate intensity, a minimum of three times a week for 30-60 min each time.

Direct Diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis Infection on Archived Pap Smears Using Nested PCR

OBJECTIVES

Little information is available concerning PCR-based direct detection of Trichomonas infections on archived Pap (Papanicolaou)-stained smears. This study investigates DNA extraction and amplification from archived Pap smears. Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that infects the urogenital tract of women.

STUDY DESIGN

DNA from archived Pap-stained smears was successfully amplified using the nested PCR to investigate if it could be used for accurate detection and retrospective epidemiological investigations.

RESULTS

In our study, 98 (75.4%) out of 130 specimens of T. vaginalis Pap-stained smears were found to be positive by the nested PCR. Also, direct PCR on the archived Pap smears for identifying T. vaginalis gave a specificity of 100%.

CONCLUSION

PCR-based Pap smears appear to offer an effective method to detect Trichomonas infection in archived samples, being rapid, highly specific and convenient for sampling, particularly in retrospective investigations.

Recurrence of gestational diabetes: pregnancy outcome and birth weight diversity

OBJECTIVE

We sought to evaluate birth weight diversity and pregnancy outcome in women with two consecutive pregnancies complicated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal study of 389 patients with two consecutive GDM pregnancies was assessed for pregnancy outcome and fetal weight diversity. Since there is a tendency towards repetition or moderate increase in fetal weight in subsequent non-diabetic pregnancies, consecutive GDM pregnancies were stratified into three categories. They consisted of: an increase in birth weight of more than 250 g between GDM pregnancies for the same gestational age at delivery, and considered significant; an increase in birth weight of more than 100 g but less than 250 g; and a decrease in birth weight in the second GDM pregnancy compared to the index pregnancy. Any change in birth weight of up to 100 g between the two pregnancies was considered comparable.

RESULTS

The mean interval between the two diabetic pregnancies was 3 years. The change in weight above the biologically expected weight was evaluated. In 181/389 (46%), an elevation in birth weight between pregnancies was recorded and from this group only 125/181 (69%) had significant increases in birth weight (> 250 g) with a mean of 531 +/- 49 g. Furthermore, 130/389 (33.4%) had decreased fetal weight between the two pregnancies (mean 373 +/- 31 g). In 78/389 (20.1%), birth weight changes were considered similar (< 100 g). Fasting plasma glucose (FBG) and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) were significantly elevated in the second pregnancy (FBG 97 +/- 15 vs. 102 +/- 4.7 mg/dl; BMI 25.9 +/- 4.7 vs. 27 +/- 6.7 kg/m2, respectively; p = 0.02). No difference was found in the mean maternal weight gain during pregnancy, gestational age at delivery, mean blood glucose, macrosomia or large-for-gestational-age rates. No difference in neonatal outcome (neonatal intensive care unit admission, the need for respiratory support, stillbirth rate or shoulder dystocia) was found between the two pregnancies.

CONCLUSION

In GDM patients, owing to the role of glycemic control and environmental factors, an expected increase in birth weight between pregnancies cannot be predicted.

Recurrent gestational diabetes: risk factors, diagnosis, management, and implications

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) should be regarded as a sentinel event in a woman's life that presents challenges and disease prevention opportunities to all providers of health care for women of reproductive age. Prediabetic risk factors are rising in prevalence and include dietary and lifestyle habits, which when superimposed on genetic predisposition contribute to the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes and GDM. There is growing evidence that treatment of GDM matters, with a continuum of adverse pregnancy outcome risks proportional to degrees of maternal glucose intolerance. GDM in an index pregnancy increases the risk of recurrent GDM in subsequent pregnancies, and recurrence rates of up to 70% have been reported. GDM recurrence rates are influenced by maternal health characteristics and past pregnancy history. The risk of later metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is increased in women with a history of GDM and women should be screened for postpartum glucose intolerance. Opportunities to prevent recurrent GDM and later type 2 diabetes require attention to risk factors and plasma glucose status with identification of impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.

Recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine rates and factors associated with recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among women with a history of GDM.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review of articles published between January 1965 and November 2006, in which recurrence rates of GDM among women with a history of GDM were reported. Factors abstracted included recurrence rates, time elapsed between pregnancies, race/ethnicity, diagnostic criteria, and, when available, maternal age, parity, weight or BMI at the initial and subsequent pregnancy, weight gain at the initial or subsequent pregnancy and between pregnancies, insulin use, gestational age at diagnosis, glucose tolerance test levels, baby birth weight and presence of macrosomia, and breast-feeding.

RESULTS

Of 45 articles identified, 13 studies were eligible for inclusion. After the index pregnancy, recurrence rates varied between 30 and 84%. Lower rates were found in non-Hispanic white (NHW) populations (30-37%), and higher rates were found in minority populations (52-69%). Exceptions to observed racial/ethnic variations in recurrence were found in cohorts that were composed of a significant proportion of both NHW and minority women or that included women who had subsequent pregnancies within 1 year. No other risk factors were consistently associated with recurrence of GDM across studies. The rates of future preexisting diabetes in pregnancy, socioeconomic status, postpartum diabetes screening rates after the index pregnancy, and the average length of time between pregnancies were generally not reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrence of GDM was common and may vary most significantly by NHW versus minority race/ethnicity.

Recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus: rates and risk factors from initial GDM and one abnormal GTT value

The recurrence rate of GDM among women in Japan who had GDM or one abnormal value on 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OAV) during an initial pregnancy is unclear. We therefore sought to determine the recurrence rate and risk factors of recurrent GDM by evaluating 32 patients with GDM and 37 with OAV in their index pregnancies. Medical records and chemical data were compared between patients with and without GDM in their subsequent pregnancies. The recurrence rate from index GDM and OAV were 65.6% and 40.5%. Age, BMI before pregnancy, an increased weight gain between pregnancies and a short interval between pregnancies were risk factors for recurrence from the initial GDM. An increased weight gain between pregnancies and a short interval between pregnancies were risk factors of development to GDM from the initial OAV. We concluded that the control of weight gain and interval between pregnancies could be important to reduce GDM recurrence.

Advice that includes food sources of unsaturated fat supports future risk management of gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and heart disease than pregnant women without GDM. Advice given during the GDM pregnancy provides an opportunity to develop protective dietary patterns for the long-term management of this risk. Dietary guidelines for the prevention and management of type 2 DM support the inclusion of unsaturated fats, but food advice needs to target this outcome. The aim of this study was to compare the dietary intakes of women with GDM given general low-fat advice (control group) to women with GDM given the same advice with additional targets for food sources of unsaturated fats (intervention group). After approximately 6 weeks, the intervention group reported more ideal dietary fatty acid intakes than the control group, with polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratios of 1:1 and 0.4:1, respectively ( P < .001), assessed using repeated measures analysis of variance. These results confirm the need to include food sources of unsaturated fats in advice strategies to assure optimal protective eating habits in this at-risk group.

Care of diabetes in pregnancy

Diabetes, whether existing before pregnancy or brought on by changes in maternal physiology, poses risks to the mother and developing fetus. Excellent preconceptional and pregnancy care can help to minimize, or even to eliminate, these risks. This article reviews the problems that are associated with diabetes in pregnancy and evidence-based strategies to avoid them.

Detection of subsequent episodes of gestational diabetes mellitus: a need for specific guidelines

Guidelines for detection of individuals with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) indicate that glucose testing for women with a history of GDM should occur as soon as feasible with retesting of an initially negative screen to occur between the 24th and 28th week of gestation. The aim of this study was to evaluate medical records for individuals enrolled in a GDM management program that presented with two subsequent pregnancies with GDM and to determine if more specific guidelines for detection are needed. Records (n=60) from both pregnancies were reviewed for gestational age at enrollment, delivery, and when insulin was started, infant birth weights and complications (e.g., hypoglycemia), and maternal complications (e.g., emergency cesarean section). Over half [33/60 (55%)] of the women required insulin during both pregnancies, while 16.7% (10/60) required insulin during the second enrollment for GDM but not the first. For those requiring insulin during both pregnancies, 88% (29/33) required it earlier during the subsequent pregnancy (31.5+/-2.7 vs. 21.6+/-8.4 weeks of gestation, P<.001). During the subsequent pregnancy, approximately 1/2 of the women requiring insulin needed it before the 24th week of gestation while 1/3 required it by the 15th week. Also during the subsequent pregnancy, neonate birth weights declined (3494+/-521 vs. 3356+/-515 g, P<.05) and there were fewer complications. Given that approximately 70% of the women required insulin therapy during a subsequent GDM pregnancy and that this therapy was on average necessary by the 22nd week of gestation, we recommend that specific guidelines be established with a definitive time frame determined for the detection of repeat episodes of GDM.

Rates and risk factors for recurrence of gestational diabetes

OBJECTIVE

To determine the recurrence rate of gestational diabetes (GDM) during a subsequent pregnancy among women who had GDM during an index pregnancy and to identify factors associated with the probability of recurrence

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal study was performed in Nova Scotia, Canada, of women who were diagnosed as having GDM during a pregnancy between the years of 1980 and 1996 and who had at least one subsequent pregnancy during this time period. When only the index and first subsequent pregnancy were analyzed, the cohort included 651 women. The recurrence rate of GDM in the pregnancy after the pregnancy with the initial diagnosis of GDM was determined. Multivariate regression models were constructed to model the recurrence of GDM in a subsequent pregnancy as functions of potential predictors to estimate RRs and CIs.

RESULTS

The rate of recurrence of GDM in the pregnancy subsequent to the index pregnancy was found to the 35.6% (95% CI = 31.9-39.3%). Multivariate regression models showed that infant birth weight in the index pregnancy and maternal prepregnancy weight before the subsequent pregnancy were predictive of recurrent GDM.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large cohort of women, slightly more than one-third of the subjects had diabetes in a subsequent pregnancy, which is consistent with recurrence rates in other predominately white populations. Strategies to reduce the occurrence of neonatal macrosomia and maternal prepregnancy obesity may help lower the rate of recurrence of GDM.

Recurrence of gestational diabetes

We conducted a retrospective review of 540 women with gestational diabetes managed by our Service between 1990 and 1996. The aim was to determine the recurrence rate of gestational diabetes and the factors associated with recurrence. Of 117 women who had a subsequent pregnancy, 82 (70%) had a recurrence of gestational diabetes according to criteria where the fasting glucose value > or = 5.5 and/or 1 hour > or = 10.0 and/or 2-hour > or = 8.0 mmol/L after a 75 g oral glucose load. The recurrence rate was 62.4% (58), using the criteria of the Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS). Older age in both the index and subsequent pregnancy and insulin requirement during the index pregnancy were the strongest predictors for recurrence of gestational diabetes. Non-English speaking country of birth, higher diagnostic glucose tolerance test (GTT) levels, greater prepregnancy BMI and weight gain between pregnancies were also associated with recurrence.

Recurrence of gestational diabetes: who is at risk?

OBJECTIVE

The object was to determine the recurrence rate of gestational diabetes mellitus and to find various risk factors that might increase this rate.

STUDY DESIGN

Seventy-eight patients with gestational diabetes mellitus in their index pregnancies were evaluated in subsequent pregnancies. Medical records for the index and subsequent pregnancies were abstracted for age, parity, body mass index, birth weight, gestational age of gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis, insulin requirement, weight gain, and interval between pregnancies. These variables were then compared between patients with and without gestational diabetes mellitus in their subsequent pregnancies.

RESULTS

Fifty-four of 78 patients (69%) had gestational diabetes mellitus in a subsequent pregnancy. The recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus was more common when the following variables were present in the index pregnancy: parity > or = 1 (P < .004; odds ratio 3.0, 95% confidence interval 1.4-4.8), body mass index > or = 30 kg/m2 (P < .04; odds ratio 3.6, 95% confidence interval 1.1-25.9), gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis at < or = 24 gestational weeks (P < .0003; odds ratio 20.4, 95% confidence interval 2.5-444), and insulin requirement (P < .0002; odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3-3.4). A weight gain of > or = 15 pounds (P < .003; odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.0-5.3) and an interval between pregnancies < or = 24 months (P < .03; odds ratio 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.2) were also associated with a recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that an interval of < or = 24 months and a weight gain of > or = 15 pounds between pregnancies were most strongly correlated with a recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus.

CONCLUSIONS

Gestational diabetes mellitus is more likely to recur in parous, obese women who had an early gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis and required insulin in the index pregnancy. In addition, a shorter interval (< or = 24 months) and a larger weight gain (> or = 15 pounds) between pregnancies appear to be the most significant risk factors for a recurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus.

Pregnancy in diabetes

For patients with preconception diabetes, the most important aspect is the need for good glycemic control pre conception to lessen the risk of congenital malformations. Careful assessment of diabetes complications is essential prepregnancy. In the absence of major complications, good glycemic control gives the pregnant diabetic patient the same chance for a healthy baby as the rest of the population. Pregnancy alters carbohydrate tolerance, and thus gestational diabetes should be screened for and, when found, treated aggressively with dietary intervention, glucose monitoring, and insulin if good glycemic control has not been attained. These patients are at greatly increased risk for diabetes in the long term.

Medical problems during pregnancy

Dramatic physiologic changes are part of normal human pregnancy. The physiologic alterations of pregnancy have the potential to affect chronic diseases, to unmask subclinical conditions, or to alter the presentation and course of newly acquired illnesses. An update in selected topics of obstetric medicine follows, focusing on clinical entities in which there have been significant advances in diagnosis or management. Additionally, reviews of selected medical disorders, such as HIV infection and asthma, that are rising in incidence in women of reproductive age are included.

Screening and testing for gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity first diagnosed during pregnancy. Although universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus is practiced by more than 75% of obstetricians in the United States, agreement is lacking worldwide regarding the appropriateness of this approach. This article discusses the assumption that some type of screening program is desirable and considers how best to conduct screening and diagnostic testing for gestational diabetes mellitus.

The risk of diabetes in a subsequent pregnancy associated with prior history of gestational diabetes or macrosomic infant

Prior studies suggest that diagnosis of gestational diabetes is associated with increased risk for development of gestational diabetes in future pregnancies, and with subsequent onset of established diabetes. The magnitudes of these risks have not been measured. Using linked birth certificate data from Washington State it is possible to identify all women with two or more births occurring during 1984-91. All women with gestational diabetes (n=1375) or with established diabetes (n=220), during their pregnancy for the second or greater birth were identified, and a control group consisting of women whose second or greater birth was not complicated by either condition was randomly selected (n=6380). Data from the birth certificate, for the previous birth, were compared in order to estimate the risks of developing gestational or established diabetes in a subsequent pregnancy among women with prior gestational diabetes relative to women without gestational diabetes. The age-adjusted risk of developing gestational diabetes in the pregnancy for the subsequent birth associated with prior gestational diabetes was 23.2 (95% (confidence interval) CI = 17.2-31.2); the risk of having developed established diabetes by the time of the subsequent birth was 55.5 (95% CI = 34.4-89.4). Women who had a macrosomic infant (>4000 gm) in the prior birth were also at increased risk for developing gestational diabetes (odds ratio OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 2.9-3.8) or established diabetes (OR = 5.8, 95% CI = 4.0-8.5). When data were restricted to patients with only one prior birth, to patients with early prenatal care, to delivery at facilities with long-established protocols for diagnosing gestational diabetes, or to more recent years, the risk estimates remained similarly elevated. The 23-fold increased risk of gestational diabetes associated with having gestational diabetes indicated on the birth certificate of a woman's previous baby, although not unexpected, is still remarkable and reinforces the importance of careful monitoring of women with this history. Although changes in how screening is conducted may account for some of the elevation in risk, our results stayed consistently elevated even when restrictions were made within the data to control for this. The fact that there was a 56-fold increased risk of having developed established diabetes by the time of the subsequent birth on record, associated with prior gestational diabetes, and a 6-fold increased risk associated with a macrosomic infant, supports the idea that these may be early steps in the development of established diabetes, and identifies a group that may benefit from close monitoring and possible intervention.

Assessing the impact of an outpatient education program for patients with gestational diabetes

In this descriptive study, two treatment approaches designed to help women with gestational diabetes manage their pregnancies were compared: a hospital, outpatient-based, nursing intervention and the traditional, office-based care provided by obstetricians. A research model was constructed using three variables suggested by the literature: input variables (risk factors prior to gestation), moderating variables (conditions that occur during pregnancy), and outcome variables (normal vs abnormal outcomes for mother and infant). This research model was used to contrast the two treatment approaches. The principal statistical procedure employed was logistic regression, a backward elimination method where the dependent variable is expressed as an odds ratio. Neither treatment approach significantly reduced the risk of abnormal outcomes for mother or infant. First-time mothers, patients with gestational diabetes on medications, and patients with gestational diabetes experiencing complications during pregnancy had a significantly greater risk of having an infant with one or more abnormal outcomes.

Reduced postprandial energy expenditure in women predisposed to type 2 diabetes

Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes is so common that it has been hypothesized that in the course of evolution the predisposition to it may have conferred some advantage, before or during the reproductive years. It is frequently preceded by gestational diabetes. In order to test the basis for the hypothetical advantage, energy expenditure was investigated in 10 women with documented transient diabetes in a previous pregnancy. They were studied early in a subsequent pregnancy while glucose tolerance wa still normal and 9 were re-studied after pregnancy. Their results were compared with normal matched controls. During pregnancy, resting energy expenditure was similar in the study group and controls (6.58 (5.77-7.55) median (range) vs 6.91 (6.56-7.36) MJ day-1, respectively). However, the energy response to a mixed meal (42 kJ, kg-1 lean body mass) was decreased in the study group (45 (33-68) vs 76 (50-89) kJ, p < 0.05). After pregnancy resting energy expenditure was again similar in the two groups, but the decrease in postprandial thermogenesis persisted (78 (59-84) vs 92 (79-105) kJ, p < 0.05). The patients were resistant to exogenous insulin, 0.05 U kg-1 intravenously (slope of the plasma glucose decline in the 15 min after insulin; during pregnancy patients 52 (37-92) vs controls 111 (104-121) mumol l-1 min-1, p < 0.01; after pregnancy 130 (88-156) vs controls 186 (152-221) mumol l-1 min-1, p < 0.01). The postprandial energy saving in these women could constitute an evolutionary advantage. Insulin resistance may be the mechanism for limiting postprandial thermogenesis.

Screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes

This chapter discusses the evidence for the existence of an entity called 'gestational diabetes', suggesting that it can be understood in terms of risk to the pregnancy and/or risk to the mother. Various diagnostic criteria used in various parts of the world are described, and a rationale for using pregnancy-specific criteria is put forth. Universal screening approaches are also characterized. Barriers to the universal adoption of a single screening scheme and set of diagnostic criteria are outlined.