Contribution of maternal obesity and weight gain in pregnancy to the occurrence of gestational diabetes

Abstract

An increase in prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was observed using new diagnostic criteria. We evaluated the prevalence of GDM in a population of pregnant women (109 women with gestational age of 24-28 weeks) and risk factors for GDM, such as maternal obesity and weight gain. The evaluation of each patient included an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) using the new diagnostic criteria of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) for GDM, 2D ultrasounds and the registration of risk factors. The prevalence of GDM in the age group ≥30 years was 11.9%, which is comparable to the results of other studies. The relative risk (RR) for GDM was 1.738 (95% CI 0.630-4.795) in women over 30 years and 3.782 (95% CI 1.127-12.686) in women over 35. Weight gain in the group with GDM was significantly higher than in the group that included pregnant women without GDM (p < 0.01). Considering the high risk of GDM with excessive gestational weight gain, educational nutrition programs should be established for the fertile-age population, not only to prevent obesity but also to prevent excessive weight gain during pregnancy.