Gestational diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance of pregnancy in Riyadh

A total of 1088 pregnant women was screened for abnormalities in glucose metabolism at the initial antenatal visit; those with specific risk factors were screened again after 28 weeks gestation. In 210 (19.3%) plasma glucose measured 2 h after a 75 g glucose load was greater than or equal to 7.8 mmol/l (140 mg/dl). Follow-up glucose tolerance tests revealed an overall prevalence of abnormal tests of 10.3% (112 of 1088) according to the WHO criteria, of which 21 (1.9%) were diagnosed as gestational diabetes, and 91 (8.4%) as impaired glucose tolerance. This high prevalence was significantly related to age, parity and body mass index. Screening and diagnosis using criteria set by the WHO were found acceptable and are recommended to help resolve the international disagreement on diagnostic criteria of glucose metabolism abnormalities in pregnancy.