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World J Diabetes. Jul 25, 2015; 6(8): 1065-1072
Published online Jul 25, 2015. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i8.1065
Gestational diabetes: A clinical update
Ulla Kampmann, Lene Ring Madsen, Gitte Oeskov Skajaa, Ditte Smed Iversen, Niels Moeller, Per Ovesen
Ulla Kampmann, Lene Ring Madsen, Niels Moeller, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Gitte Oeskov Skajaa, Ditte Smed Iversen, Per Ovesen, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
Author contributions: Kampmann U designed and wrote the manuscript; Madsen LR, Skajaa GO, Iversen DS and Moeller N wrote the manuscript; Ovesen P wrote the manuscript and generated the table.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Nothing to declare.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Ulla Kampmann, MD, PhD, Department of Endocrinology and Internal Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark. ulla@opstrup.dk
Telephone: +45-2-2370857 Fax: +45-8-9492072
Received: August 28, 2014
Peer-review started: August 31, 2014
First decision: December 26, 2014
Revised: February 14, 2015
Accepted: April 16, 2015
Article in press: April 20, 2015
Published online: July 25, 2015
Processing time: 340 Days and 11.5 Hours
Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing in prevalence in tandem with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age. Much controversy surrounds the diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes, emphasizing the importance and relevance of clarity and consensus. If newly proposed criteria are adopted universally a significantly growing number of women will be diagnosed as having GDM, implying new therapeutic challenges to avoid foetal and maternal complications related to the hyperglycemia of gestational diabetes. This review provides an overview of clinical issues related to GDM, including the challenges of screening and diagnosis, the pathophysiology behind GDM, the treatment and prevention of GDM and the long and short term consequences of gestational diabetes for both mother and offspring.

Keywords: Gestational diabetes; Diagnostic criteria; Treatment; Complications

Core tip: Gestational diabetes is increasing in prevalence coincidently with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in women of childbearing age. Much controversy surrounds the diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes, making it an important subject to discuss as the risk of foetal and maternal complications are increased in gestational diabetes. This review provides an overview of issues related to gestational diabetes, including the challenges of screening and diagnosis, the pathophysiology behind gestational diabetes, the treatment and prevention of gestational diabetes and the long and short term consequences of gestational diabetes for both mother and offspring.