Paid Advertisement by Ohio Department of Health
On Wednesday, March 29, at noon, join Steven Gabbe, MD, from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center for a one-hour webinar on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for women and their children following a diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy. This no-charge webinar will include best practices for the testing and prevention of T2DM for women with a history of GDM, as well as recommended care coordination between physicians and other health care professionals.
GDM, a glucose intolerance that first develops during pregnancy and may impact as many as 9.2% of pregnant women, often subsides shortly after delivery(1). Because it is most commonly associated with immediate complications, including higher likelihood of a cesarean delivery and admission to the NICU, many patients are unaware of the link between GDM-affected pregnancies and T2DM. However, the fact is that more than half of these women will develop T2DM within 20 years following pregnancy, and not only that, research shows that their children are also at an increased risk for both T2DM and obesity.
As a result of the link between GDM and T2DM, the American Diabetes Association recommends that women previously diagnosed with GDM are screened for pre-diabetes and diabetes between four and 12 weeks postpartum. Women with normal results on the postpartum screening should be re-screened every one to three years while those with impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or diabetes should be referred for therapy. Despite these recommendations, research demonstrates that only half of the women in most populations undergo the initial postpartum screening(2).
For family physicians, being aware of a patient’s history of GDM and her risk of developing T2DM, verifying that the postpartum screening is completed, and ensuring that she understands the link between T2DM and GDM are the first steps in caring for these women. As physicians and other health care professionals treat these patients long term, they can make sure routine screenings are scheduled and conducted according to published guidelines.
To learn more about the treatment of women with a history or GDM, register for the Wednesday, March 29, webinar or contact Program Manager Jenni Chichka. This presentation is being offered as part of the Ohio Gestational Diabetes Postpartum Care Learning Collaborative, a quality improvement project sponsored by the Ohio Department of Health and administered by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center.
- DeSisto CL, Kim SY, Sharma AJ. Prevalence Estimates of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the United States, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2007–2010. Preventing Chronic Disease 2014;11:130415.
- Tovar A, Chasan-Taber L, Eggleston E, Oken E. Postpartum screening for diabetes among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus. Preventing Chronic Disease 2011; 8: A124.