Gestational Diabetes
Alternate Names : Diabetes of Pregnancy, Glucose Intolerance in Pregnancy, Sugar Intolerance in Pregnancy
How is the disease diagnosed?
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends glucose testing of women
with any of the risk factors listed above as soon as feasible during pregnancy.
If gestational diabetes is not diagnosed during the initial screening of high
risk women, they should be retested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Similarly, women of average risk should be tested between 24 and 28 weeks of
pregnancy.
The ADA describes 2 approaches to evaluation of gestational diabetes in
pregnant women:
The one-step approach is done with an
oral glucose tolerance test. The woman drinks a liquid containing 50
grams of glucose and the blood glucose level is measured an hour later.
The two-step approach starts with the same oral glucose tolerance test as the one-step approach. If the
woman's blood glucose is elevated on the first test, a diagnostic oral glucose
tolerance test is done. The woman drinks a liquid containing 100 grams of
glucose, and the blood glucose level is measured 1, 2, and 3 hours later.
If the blood glucose level is elevated in either of the approaches, a
diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made.
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