Definition, detection, and management of gestational diabetes

The Second International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes was held in Chicago, IL on October 25-27, 1984 as an invitational meeting sponsored by the American Diabetes Association with the cooperation of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. The meeting was convened to collate existing information about gestational diabetes mellitus and to use state-of-the-art appraisals to achieve consensus about definitions, prognoses, and strategies for success, diagnosis, and intervention. The invited presentations documented that gestational diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disorder with varying incidence in various parts of the world. The increased obstetric and perinatal risk of undetected gestational diabetes was supported. The reports clearly established that more than half of the women with gestational diabetes mellitus ultimately develop permanent diabetes. Mounting evidence also suggests the possibility of long-range complications such as increased obesity and diabetes in the offspring. The available experiences with a variety of therapies such as diet and insulin were reviewed. The meeting highlighted the importance of gestational diabetes mellitus as a distinct entity deserving of increased recognition, treatment, long-range follow-up, and research.