Gestational diabetes: An overview with attention for developing countries

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as a glucose intolerance that occurs for the first time or it is first identified during pregnancy. The GDM etiology is multifactorial. It has not completely been established yet and several known risk factors may contribute to its onset. To date, there are no shared guidelines on the management and follow-up, especially regarding the low-income countries. In this paper, we describe the state of art about epidemiology, physiopathology, diagnosis, and management of GDM. Moreover, we focus on the current state in low income countries trying to outline basis for further research.