Early Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: An Update

Hyperglycemia occurring in pregnancy is a growing burden worldwide. It is now standard of care to screen all women during pregnancy, both to detect preexisting diabetes as well as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Traditionally, GDM was diagnosed at 24-28 weeks. However, with many international bodies recommending screening at first contact or booking, we are now diagnosing GDM earlier on in pregnancy. Based on the time of gestation at which it is diagnosed, GDM can be classified as conventional gestational diabetes mellitus (cGDM) or early gestational diabetes mellitus (eGDM). The cGDM is diagnosed between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation while eGDM is diagnosed in early pregnancy (<20 weeks). Till recently, there was little and conflicting evidence, on whether diagnosing and treating eGDM was beneficial or safe. The recent Treatment of BOoking Gestational diabetes Mellitus (ToBOGM) study, was a randomized control trial, showing clear benefits of diagnosing and treating eGDM. ToBOGM also showed that the best results were seen in those screened before 14 weeks of pregnancy and those in the higher band of glucose levels (FPG 95-109 mg/dL, 1-hour >191 mg/dL, and 2-hour glucose 162-199 mg/dL). In India, where the burden of hyperglycemia in pregnancy is high, the findings from the ToBOGM study further emphasize the need for screening for GDM at the time of first booking of the pregnancy followed by appropriate treatment for those detected to have eGDM. How to cite this article: Hannah W, Pradeepa R, Anjana RM, et al. Early Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: An Update. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(9):101-103.