Fasting target for hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Endocrinology
• Clinical Biochemistry

Background:

• Hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) poses risks to both mother and fetus.
• Establishing appropriate treatment targets for HIP requires understanding normal glucose levels in pregnant women.
• Current diagnostic criteria for HIP are based on fasting plasma glucose (FPG).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the normal range of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in pregnant women without gestational diabetes.
• To provide data that can inform the setting of treatment targets for women with hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pregnancy glucose tolerance test results from 3344 women without HIP.
• Data collected over a three-year period.
• Calculation of median, interquartile range, and 5th to 95th centile for FPG.

Main Results:

• The median FPG for healthy pregnant women was 4.4 mmol/L.
• The interquartile range for FPG was 4.2-4.6 mmol/L.
• The 5th to 95th centile for FPG was 3.8-4.9 mmol/L.

Conclusions:

• The established diagnostic fasting glucose level for HIP is ≥5.1 mmol/L.
• The observed FPG range in healthy pregnant women supports a treatment target of ≤5.0 mmol/L for HIP.
• These findings contribute to optimizing management strategies for hyperglycemia in pregnancy.