Publication:

A study of prevalence and determinants of gestational diabetes mellitus

Background It is estimated that one out of every 200 pregnancies is complicated by diabetes mellitus and additionally that five in every 200 pregnant women will develop gestational diabetes. Risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus may act directly or indirectly to facilitate the onset of diabetes, it is of utmost important to detect.

Methods A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in the setting of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, Karnataka, India during the year 2006-2007. All antenatal pregnant women with 24-28 weeks of pregnancy attending the OBG department (both outpatients and inpatients) were included in the study. Women with history of pregestational diabetes (overt diabetes) were excluded from the study. Screening test of glucose challenge test (GCT) was done and those positive for GCT were subjected to oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to diagnose the gestational diabetes mellitus.

Results Out of 800 antenatal pregnant women, two thirds of them were in the age group of 21-25 years (67.5%), 60% of the women were multigravida. The prevalence of GDM in this study was 5.25% (95% CI; 3.8%-6.9%). GDM was significantly associated with past history of macrosomia (OR: 28), GDM (OR: 8.2), abortions (OR: 8.2), family history of diabetes mellitus (OR: 8.0), obesity (OR: 4.7) and maternal age >25 years (OR: 3.5)

Conclusions Overall prevalence of GDM was 5.5%. Increasing maternal age, family history of DM, past history of GDM, macrosomia, abortions and increasing maternal BMI were the important determinants of GDM.