Universal screening to identify gestational diabetes: a multi-centre study in the North of England

The changing face of gestational diabetes: the effect of the shift from risk factor-based to comprehensive screening

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of the change in the gestational diabetes (GDM) screening policy from risk-factor based to comprehensive screening on the prevalence and type of GDM and characteristics of GDM pregnancies.

DESIGN

Population-based register study in Finland. Subjects were GDM women who gave birth before (2006, n=5185) and after (2010, n=6683) the policy change. All the other women in those years without pre-pregnancy diabetes acted as controls (51 759 and 52 398 respectively).

METHODS

GDM women with singleton pregnancy were identified through The Finnish Medical Birth Register by abnormal oral glucose tolerance test or initiation of insulin. Main outcome measures were prevalence of GDM (total and insulin/diet-treated), and caesarean section rate.

RESULTS

The proportion of screened mothers increased from 27.5 to 51.3% and the total prevalence of GDM from 9.1 to 11.3%. This increase consisted mainly of diet-treated mothers, while the number and proportion of insulin-treated mothers decreased (21.8% vs13.3%, P<0.001). The proportion of primiparous women increased (34.5-39.4%, P<0.0001) and mean pre-pregnancy BMI decreased (28.6-28.2, P<0.001). The overall caesarean section rate remained the same but increased among women with GDM (20.8-22.1%) adjusted odds ratios being 1.22 (95% CI 1.14, 1.31) during comprehensive and 1.10 (95% CI 1.02, 1.19) during risk factor-based screening.

CONCLUSIONS

The shift to comprehensive screening led to a significant increase in women with GDM, who were more often primiparous and had a lower BMI. Comprehensive screening did not perform better in diagnosing women needing insulin treatment.

Early universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

To study the prevalence of Gestational diabetes mellitus and to assess the impact of early universal screening to detect Gestational diabetes mellitus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Consecutive 1106 pregnant women were screened for Gestational diabetes mellitus at their first prenatal visit during the study period of February 2012 to January 2013. All the women were screened with a initial 50 gram one hour glucose challenge test (GCT) and those women who tested positive were subjected to a standardized 75 gram oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT). The prevalence of Gestational diabetes mellitus and its association with age, infertility, obesity, hypertension, family history of diabetes was studied. The impact of early universal screening for GDM was assessed. American diabetic association (ADA) and International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) criteria for diagnosis of Gestational diabetes mellitus was used in our study.

RESULTS

Of the total 1106 pregnant women who were screened with the initial 50 gram one hour glucose challenge test (GCT), 458 (41.4%) had their one hour plasma glucose value >130 gm/dl. Of the 440 women who responded to and underwent the subsequent 75gram OGTT, 158 (61.2%) had one abnormal value, 73(28.2%) had two abnormal values and 27 (10.5%) had three abnormal values. 64(24.8%) of them had fasting plasma glucose ≥ 92/dl. 36(13.9%) women were found to have GDM in the first trimester (12 weeks), 43 (16.7%) in the 13-18 weeks, 114 (44.1%) in the 19-28 weeks and 65 (25.2%) in the third trimester(28 weeks). The overall prevalence of GDM was 23.3%. There was increased association of GDM with increasing age, parity, family predisposition and infertility.

CONCLUSION

It is evident that there is increased prevalence of GDM in Indian population. Universal screening for GDM is better to routine risk factor based screening and it should be done at the first prenatal visit for early diagnosis of glucose intolerance in pregnancy especially in countries like India. There is increased association of GDM with infertility, advanced age, obesity, family predisposition and parity.