The Increasing Prevalence of Diabetes in Pregnancy

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The authors review studies published in the past 10 years that examine the prevalence and trends in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The prevalence of GDM in a population is reflective of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes within that population. In low-risk populations, such as those found in Sweden, the prevalence in population-based studies is lower than 2% even when universal testing is offered, whereas studies in high-risk populations, such as the Native American Cree, Northern Californian Hispanics, and Northern Californian Asians, reported prevalence rates ranging from 4.9% to 12.8%. Prevalence rates for GDM obtained from hospital-based studies similarly reflect the risk of type 2 diabetes in a population with a single hospital-based study in Australia reporting prevalences ranging from 3.0% in Anglo-Celtic women to 17.0% in Indian women. Finally, of the eight studies published that report on trends in the prevalence of GDM, six report an increase in the prevalence of GDM across most racial/ethnic groups studied. In summary, diabetes during pregnancy is a common and increasing complication of pregnancy.

Section snippets

Literature search

A literature search was conducted in MEDLINE using the following search criteria: “gestational diabetes” as a MeSH term or text word, combined with “epidemiology” as a subheading or MeSH term, “prevalence” as a MeSH term, or “trend” or “screening” as a text word. In addition, the search was limited to English-language articles published in the last 10 years (July 1st, 1996 through October 1st, 2006). These search criteria yielded 1025 articles. The lead author (KJH) reviewed either the abstract

Population-based studies

For purposes of this review, population-based studies were defined as studies that attempted to include a representative sample of the general population in a defined geographic area. Moreover, because the focus for population-based studies was having a representative study population, universal screening or testing for GDM was not required for inclusion in the review. Population-based studies of more than 500 individuals are summarized in Table 3. The prevalence of GDM varied depending upon

Discussion

In this study, the authors review studies published in the past 10 years that examine the prevalence and trends in the prevalence of GDM. In summary, the prevalence of GDM in a population is reflective of the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in that population; therefore, ethnic and racial populations that have a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes are at higher risk of GDM. In low-risk populations such as those found in Sweden, the prevalence in population-based studies is lower than 2% even when

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