Gestational diabetes is the third type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. It usually presents during the second trimester of pregnancy and resolves itself after the child is born. Up to 10 percent of all expectant mothers will develop gestational diabetes, many of whom will develop type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is hyperglycemia first detected during pregnancy. This is distinct from women with diabetes undergoing pregnancy, who have diabetes in pregnancy rather than gestational diabetes.
Plasma glucose levels, both fasting and post - prandial, are lower than normal in early pregnancy so that raised levels at this stage are almost certainly caused by previously undetected T2DM. Screening for GDM is generally undertaken at around 28 weeks glucose 2 hours after a glucose load but below the diagnostic cutoff for diabetes.
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Later, both the ADA and WHO introduced the concept of IFG as a fasting plasma glucose above normal but below the diabetes diagnostic level. Both IFG and IGT are associated with a two - to threefold increased risk of developing diabetes, while IGT is also a cardiovascular risk marker. IFG was welcomed as it could indicate an at - risk individual without the need to perform a glucose tolerance test.
Collectively, IFG and IGT became known as “ pre - diabetes ” – a misleading term as not everyone with pre - diabetes develops diabetes, and it diminishes the importance of other risk markers such as family history. The term “ intermediate hyperglycemia ” is preferred by WHO.
IGT and IFG are more likely in older people, those who are obese, people from particular high risk ethnic groups and those with cardiovascular disease or other features of the metabolic syndrome, such as dyslipidemia, hypertension or visceral adiposity.
