Frequency and risk factors for recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus in primiparous women: a case control study

To investigate the frequency and risk factors for recurrent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Chinese primiparous women.

Case control study. We investigated primiparous women who experienced GDM complications and had a subsequent pregnancy in the same hospital from January, 2012 to January, 2017. Ultimately, 78 women with recurrent GDM and 64 women with no recurrence were included. Clinical characteristics and biochemical parameters such as fasting plasma glucose (FPG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and lipid profiles were collected from medical records. We used an independent t-test and Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test to compare each variable. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were used to compute each odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

The frequency of recurrent GDM was 55%. We found postprandial 1-h glucose at the 75-g OGTT was positively related to GDM recurrence, whereas first-trimester FPG in first pregnancy was negatively related. The first-trimester HbA1c value was higher in the group with GDM recurrence than in the group with no recurrence, though the difference was not significant. Moreover, the group with GDM recurrence manifested significantly higher first-trimester triglyceride concentrations in subsequent pregnancies; the adjusted ORs (95% CI) were 1.43 (1.09-1.87), 0.24 (0.10-0.63), 3.59 (0.93-13.88) and 1.89 (1.13-3.16).

GDM recurred in more than half of subsequent pregnancies. Women with lower first-trimester FPG and higher postprandial 1-h glucose in first pregnancy, and with higher first-trimester triglyceride in subsequent pregnancy were at increased risk for GDM recurrence.