Gestational diabetes testing guidelines updated

New criteria may double the number of women who receive a diagnosis of gestational diabetes

In an effort to increase the identification of women with gestational diabetes and reduce health risks to mother and fetus, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has adopted new guidelines for testing pregnant women for gestational diabetes; these guidelines have been published in a special supplement to the January 2011 issue of Diabetes Care.

The International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups, which includes the ADA, developed the new recommendations based on data from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes study, which showed that the risk of adverse maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes increases directly with a mother’s glucose levels. The research also revealed that these risks are present at glucose levels previously considered to be normal.