According to several studies, patients who are expecting a child should be tested for gestational diabetes earlier.
- Pregnant women should be screened before the 14th week of pregnancy, according to a new study.
- The aim is that in the event of gestational diabetes, they are treated as early as possible.
- Gestational diabetes can have consequences for the baby: high weight or hypoglycemia.
Gestational diabetes affects more and more expectant mothers. In fact, between 2016 and 2021, its frequency increased from 10.8% to 16.4%, according to the2021 national perinatal surveyAt the same time, the proportion of women who benefited from screening for gestational diabetes also increased over the same period, from 73.2% to 76.1% of women.
Gestational diabetes: screening before the 14th week of pregnancy
Currently, in France, screening is carried outduring the first trimester by measuring fasting blood sugar andBetween the 24th and 28th week of amenorrhea, by measuring blood sugar levels during oral hyperglycemia. These two screenings are carried out if the pregnant woman has one of the following risk factors: diabetes in one of her close relatives (father, mother, brothers, sisters), age over 35, a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 25, having already had gestational diabetes, or the child is expected to weigh more than 4 kilos at term.
Yet, according to a series of studies published in the journal The Lancetpregnant women should be screened before the 14th week of pregnancy so that in the event of gestational diabetes, treatment can begin as early as possible.
Risks of Gestational Diabetes During and After Pregnancy
This management is very important because gestational diabetes is dangerous. For the mother, it is associated with increased anxiety (following the announcement), a higher risk of caesarean section and a recurrence of diabetes during a future pregnancy. In the baby, at birth, gestational diabetes results in high birth weight or hypoglycemia.
“Before becoming pregnant, if you have risk factors for type 2 diabetes, consult your doctor, noted health insurance on its website. A blood sugar test is possible during a preconception consultation.”