Gestational Diabetes During and After Pregnancy

In the past decade, the perspective of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) as a benign condition limited to pregnancy has evolved into a disease with significant implications for both mother and fetus. As such, it has become a condition relevant to medical specialties beyond obstetrics. §Research on the pathophysiology and clinical management of women and children with GDM has increased dramatically, however postpartum management of women with GDM and their offspring still remains less covered by research and clinicians. Research is currently being conducted (in the HAPO study) with results available in early 2008 that are expected to further inform the field about the definition of diagnostic criteria of GDM that are related to their ability to predict perinatal complications. Simultaneously, from the clinical perspective, issues regarding diagnosis and management of GDM during pregnancy have been informed by recent information from clinical trials. Recently released information from the Human Genome Project on the location of diabetes genes is expected to inform the search for GDM loci. Finally, implications for postpartum diabetes prevention and glucose intolerance have also emerged, mainly from epidemiologic data, which suggest specific reshaping of policy for postpartum mothers. §To date however, this information has not been consolidated into a single source and GDM information has been limited to a single chapter in various textbooks of diabetes. Efficient synthesis of the data and information from these diverse sources is crucial to effectively prioritize interventions and assemble resources for further research, ranging from further bench investigation to the implementation of public health programs.