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Objective: To determine the impact of implementing emergency care pathway(s) for screening, diagnosing and managing women with gestational diabetes (GDM) during COVID-19., Design: Retrospective multicentre cohort., Setting: Nine National Health Service (NHS) Hospital Trusts/Health boards in England and Scotland., Population: 4915 women with GDM pre-pandemic (1 April 2018 to 31 March 2020), and 3467 women with GDM during the pandemic (1 May 2020 to 31 March 2021)., Methods: We examined clinical outcomes for women with GDM prior to and during the pandemic following changes in screening methods, diagnostic testing, glucose thresholds and introduction of virtual care for monitoring of antenatal glycaemia., Main Outcome Measures: Intervention at birth, perinatal mortality, large-for-gestational-age infants and neonatal unit admission., Results: The new diagnostic criteria more often identified GDM women who were multiparous, had higher body mass index (BMI) and greater deprivation, and less frequently had previous GDM (all p < 0.05). During COVID, these women had no differences in the key outcome measures. Of the women, 3% were identified with pre-existing diabetes at antenatal booking. Where OGTT continued during COVID, but virtual care was introduced, outcomes were also similar pre- and during the pandemic., Conclusions: Using HbA1c and fasting glucose identified a higher risk GDM population during the pandemic but this had minimal impact on pregnancy outcomes. The high prevalence of undiagnosed pre-existing diabetes suggests that women with GDM risk factors should be offered HbA1c screening in early pregnancy., (© 2023 The Authors. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Gestational diabetes and the maternal mental disorders of anxiety and depression have been implicated in adverse offspring neuro-behavioural outcomes but these exposures have only been studied in isolation. 1051 children whose mothers were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in UK's Born in Bradford cohort had linkage to maternal primary care records, providing diagnostic and treatment codes for depression and anxiety. Education record linkage provided results of the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile from the first year of school, aged five. Risk of not attaining a 'Good level of development' was analysed using multivariable Poisson regression within a generalised estimating equation framework. Multiple imputation was implemented for missing data. There was limited evidence of increased risk of failure to attain a 'good level of development' in those additionally exposed to maternal mental disorders (adjusted RR 1.21; 95% CI 0.94, 1.55). However, there was more evidence in children of Pakistani maternal ethnicity (adjusted RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.04, 1.77) than White British; this may have been driven by English not being the primary language spoken in the home. Therefore there may be groups with GDM in whom it is particularly important to optimise both maternal physical and mental health to improve child outcomes., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

There is a well-established bidirectional association between Type 2 diabetes and mental disorder and emerging evidence for an increased risk of perinatal mental disorder in women with gestational diabetes (GDM). However, the relation between mental disorder prior to pregnancy and subsequent risk of GDM remains relatively unexplored. This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the risk of GDM in women with a range of preconception mental disorders. Peer-reviewed literature measuring odds of GDM and preconception mood, anxiety, psychotic and eating disorders was systematically reviewed. Risk of bias was assessed using a checklist. Two independent reviewers were involved. 22 observational studies met inclusion criteria; most were retrospective cohorts from English speaking, high income countries. 14 studies were at high risk of bias. There was evidence for an increased risk of GDM in women with schizophrenia (pooled OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.17,5.1; 5 studies) and a reduced risk of GDM in women with anorexia nervosa (pooled OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.49,0.80; 5 studies). There was some limited evidence of an increased risk in women with bipolar disorder. There was no evidence for an association with preconception depression or bulimia nervosa on meta-analysis. There were insufficient studies on anxiety disorders for meta-analysis. This review indicates that there is not a significant risk of GDM associated with many preconception mental disorders but women with psychotic disorders represent a group uniquely vulnerable to GDM. Early detection and management of GDM could improve physical and mental health outcomes for these women and their children., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

There is an increase in maternal metabolic burden due to the rise in pregnancies complicated by obesity, gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. Metabolic dysfunction during pregnancy is associated with increased risks of long-term morbidity and mortality for women and their offspring. Lifestyle interventions in pregnancy in women at risk of metabolic dysfunction have demonstrated short-term improvements such as reduced gestational weight gain and lowered risk of gestational diabetes. It is not known whether these interventions lead to sustained improvements in the metabolic health of the mother and baby. Pharmacological interventions have also shown benefits for the mother and baby in pregnancy, including improvements in glycaemic control, reduction in gestational weight gain and reduction in large for gestational age infants; however, there remains uncertainty over long-term outcomes for mother and child. Existing studies on interventions targeting metabolic health are limited to selected populations in the preconception and postpartum periods and lack follow-up beyond delivery of the intervention. The COVID-19 pandemic has refocused our attention on the effects of maternal metabolic ill-health that play a role in contributing to premature morbidity and mortality. There is an urgent need for strategies to accurately identify the growing number of women and offspring at risk of long-term adverse metabolic health. Strategies which focus on early identification and risk stratification using individualised risk scores in the pre and inter-conception periods must take priority if we are to target and improve the metabolic health of women and their offspring who are at highest risk.

Objectives: To compare, in a population of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the time to diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes in those with and without common mental disorder (CMD) (depression and/or anxiety) during pregnancy., Design and Setting: prospective study of the Born in Bradford cohort in Bradford, UK., Participants: 909 women diagnosed with GDM between 2007 and 2010, with linkage to their primary care records until 2017. The exposed population were women with an indicator of CMD during pregnancy in primary care records. The unexposed were those without an indicator., Outcome Measures: Time to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as indicated by a diagnosis in primary care records., Analysis: time to event analysis using Cox regression was employed. Multiple imputation by chained equations was implemented to handle missing data. Models were adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, education, preconception CMD and tobacco smoking during pregnancy., Results: 165 women (18%) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over a follow-up period of around 10 years. There was no evidence of an effect of antenatal CMD on the development of type 2 diabetes following GDM (adjusted HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.57 to 1.57)., Conclusions: Women with CMD were not at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes following GDM. This is reassuring for women with these co-morbidities but requires replication in other study populations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Context: Comprehensive assessment of metabolism in maternal obesity and pregnancy disorders can provide information about the shared maternal-fetal milieu and give insight into both maternal long-term health and intergenerational transmission of disease burden., Objective: To assess levels, profiles, and change in the levels of metabolic measures during pregnancies complicated by obesity, gestational diabetes (GDM), or hypertensive disorders., Design, Setting and Participants: A secondary analysis of 2 study cohorts, PREDO and RADIEL, including 741 pregnant women., Main Outcome Measures: We assessed 225 metabolic measures by nuclear magnetic resonance in blood samples collected at median 13 [interquartile range (IQR) 12.4-13.7], 20 (IQR 19.3-23.0), and 28 (27.0-35.0) weeks of gestation., Results: Across all 3 time points women with obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30kg/m2] in comparison to normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.99 kg/m2) had significantly higher levels of most very-low-density lipoprotein-related measures, many fatty and most amino acids, and more adverse metabolic profiles. The change in the levels of most metabolic measures during pregnancy was smaller in obese than in normal weight women. GDM, preeclampsia, and chronic hypertension were associated with metabolic alterations similar to obesity. The associations of obesity held after adjustment for GDM and hypertensive disorders, but many of the associations with GDM and hypertensive disorders were rendered nonsignificant after adjustment for BMI and the other pregnancy disorders., Conclusions: This study shows that the pregnancy-related metabolic change is smaller in women with obesity, who display metabolic perturbations already in early pregnancy. Metabolic alterations of obesity and pregnancy disorders resembled each other suggesting a shared metabolic origin., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

Introduction: Class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 ) during pregnancy predisposes mother and offspring to a range of adverse pregnancy complications and outcomes. Risk profiles vary between pregnancies and are affected by interpregnancy weight gain. We evaluated the risk of adverse outcomes in women with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 in first and second pregnancies, and the impact of interpregnancy weight change on this risk., Materials and Methods: Data were extracted for all women with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 at first antenatal visit, who completed antenatal and delivery care for first and second pregnancies in NHS Lothian between 1/1/2009-31/12/2018. Multiple pregnancies and recipients of bariatric surgery were excluded., Results: 442 pregnancies among 221 women were included. In first pregnancy, median (interquartile range) weight was 117 kg (108.5-126.7), age 28 years (24-31) and BMI 42 kg/m 2 (41.0-44.5), 14.4% had gestational diabetes (GDM), 11.3% had pregnancy-induced hypertension and 44.6% had a post-partum haemorrhage (PPH). 20.8% of babies were large for gestational age (LGA, ≥97% centile at birth). In second pregnancy, women were heavier with a median weight of 119.9 kg (109.0-130.0, p = 0.00) with 19.9% gaining over 10 kg. Women were more likely to develop GDM (21.6%, p = 0.02). Babies were heavier with 40% of babies LGA (p < 0.0001). Interpregnancy weight change had no significant impact on GDM, pregnancy induced hypertension, PPH, perinatal mortality or LGA., Conclusions: In a population of women with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m 2 , pregnancy complications are common and risk is higher in second pregnancy. The interpregnancy period is a critical time to engage women in health improvement and weight loss strategies to maximise outcomes for mother and offspring., (Copyright © 2021 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic performance of alternative diagnostic strategies to oral glucose tolerance tests, including random plasma glucose, fasting plasma glucose and HbA 1c , during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: Retrospective service data (Cambridge, UK; 17 736 consecutive singleton pregnancies, 2004-2008; 826 consecutive gestational diabetes pregnancies, 2014-2019) and 361 women with ≥1 gestational diabetes risk factor (OPHELIA prospective observational study, UK) were included. Pregnancy outcomes included gestational diabetes (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence or International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria), diabetes in pregnancy (WHO criteria), Caesarean section, large-for-gestational age infant, neonatal hypoglycaemia and neonatal intensive care unit admission. Receiver-operating characteristic curves and unadjusted logistic regression were used to compare random plasma glucose, fasting plasma glucose and HbA 1c performance., Results: Gestational diabetes diagnosis was significantly associated with random plasma glucose at 12 weeks [area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for both criteria 0.81 (95% CI 0.79-0.83)], fasting plasma glucose [National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence: area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.75 (95% CI 0.65-0.85); International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups: area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.92 (95% CI 0.85-0.98)] and HbA 1c at 28 weeks' gestation [National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence: 0.83 (95% CI 0.75-0.90); International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups: 0.84 (95% CI 0.77-0.91)]. Each measure predicts some, but not all, pregnancy outcomes studied. At 12 weeks, ~5% of women would be identified using random plasma glucose ≥8.5 mmol/l (sensitivity 42%; specificity 96%) and at 28 weeks using HbA 1c ≥39 mmol/mol (sensitivity 26%; specificity 96%) or fasting plasma glucose ≥5.2-5.4 mmol/l (sensitivity 18-41%; specificity 97-98%)., Conclusions: Random plasma glucose at 12 weeks, and fasting plasma glucose or HbA 1c at 28 weeks identify women with hyperglycaemia at risk of suboptimal pregnancy outcomes. These opportunistic laboratory tests perform adequately for risk stratification when oral glucose tolerance testing is not available., (© 2020 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.)

Background: anxiety and depression are common in women with gestational diabetes but it is not clear whether they are more likely to precede the onset of gestational diabetes or to co-occur with it. Our aims were to compare the strength of association between common mental disorders of anxiety and depression (i) before pregnancy and (ii) during pregnancy in women with and without gestational diabetes., Methods: the sample comprised 12,239 women with 13,539 pregnancies from the UK's Born in Bradford cohort. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Indicators of common mental disorders were obtained from linked primary care records. Multivariable robust Poisson and logistic regression were employed. Multiple imputation by chained equations was implemented to handle missing data. Models were adjusted for maternal age, ethnicity, education and obstetric complications. Analyses of common mental disorders during pregnancy were additionally adjusted for maternal smoking, pre-pregnancy BMI, multiple pregnancy and common mental disorders prior to pregnancy., Results: there was no evidence for an association between common mental disorders prior to pregnancy and gestational diabetes (adjusted RR 0.96; 95% CI 0.80,1.15) or between gestational diabetes and common mental disorders during pregnancy (adjusted OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.73,1.12)., Limitations: high levels of deprivation and multi-ethnic composition of the cohort may limit generalisability of these findings to other populations., Conclusions: routine primary care records did not identify an increased risk of gestational diabetes in women with common mental disorders prior to pregnancy or of gestational diabetes in women with common mental disorders during pregnancy., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Globally the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is rising mainly due to the increase in maternal obesity. A number of different methods to screen for and diagnose GDM have been described although consensus on the preferred methods does not yet exist. GDM has significant short- and long-term health risks for the mother, developing fetus and the children born to mothers with GDM. Short-term risks for the fetus include macrosomia (excessive birthweight), shoulder dystocia, birth trauma, and hypoglycaemia in the immediate postpartum period. Long-term risks for offspring born to mothers with GDM include increased rates of childhood and adulthood obesity and an increased cardiometabolic risk. A number of pharmacological treatments for GDM have been identified, these include insulin and oral glucose-lowering drugs metformin and glibenclamide. Whilst these oral glucose-lowering drugs show similar short-term childhood outcomes to insulin there is increasing evidence that these drugs may have adverse long-term outcomes on children and adults exposed to the drugs in utero. Future research on treatments for GDM should include long-term follow- up of children exposed to glucose lowering medication in utero to determine the long-term cardiometabolic risk in the offspring born to mothers with GDM., (© 2020 The Authors. Prenatal Diagnosis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: Gestational diabetes (GDM) and mental disorder are common perinatal morbidities and are associated with adverse maternal and child outcomes. While there is a relationship between type 2 diabetes and mental disorder, the relationship between GDM and mental disorder has been less studied. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of mental disorders in women with GDM and their risk for mental disorders compared with women without GDM., Methods: Published, peer-reviewed literature measuring prevalence and/or odds of GDM and perinatal mental disorders was reviewed systematically. Risk of bias was assessed using a checklist. Two independent reviewers were involved. Analyses were grouped by stage of peripartum, i.e. antepartum at the time of GDM diagnosis and after diagnosis, and in the postpartum., Results: Sixty-two studies were included. There was an increased risk of depressive symptoms in the antenatal period around the time of diagnosis of GDM [odds ratio (OR) 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42, 3.05] and in the postnatal period (OR 1.59; 95% CI 1.26, 2.00)., Conclusions: Given the potential relationship between GDM and perinatal mental disorders, integration of physical and mental healthcare in women experiencing GDM and mental disorders could improve short- and long-term outcomes for women and their children., (© 2019 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disturbance during pregnancy. The prevalence is rising and correlates with the increase in maternal obesity over recent decades. The etiology of GDM is complex, with genetic and environmental factors implicated in mechanistic and epidemiological studies. GDM begets important short- and long-term health risks for the mother, developing fetus, and offspring. This includes the high likelihood of subsequent maternal type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and possible adverse cardiometabolic phenotypes in the offspring. The most clinically and cost-effective methods of screening for GDM remain uncertain. Whilst treatments with lifestyle and pharmacological interventions have demonstrated short-term benefits, the long-term impact for the offspring of intrauterine exposure to antidiabetic medication remains unclear., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Evidence suggests that screening for gestational diabetes (GDM) occurs too late in pregnancy, when changes in glucose metabolism and fetal growth rates can already be detected. In August 2016 NHS Lothian began screening women with risk factors for GDM during early pregnancy (11-13 weeks). We hypothesised that an earlier identification and treatment of dysglycaemia would improve pregnancy outcomes compared to previous standard care., Methods: We compared management and outcomes for singleton pregnancies with GDM delivering at Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, UK, diagnosed through routine or early screening from 01/01/2015-31/10/2017 (routine screening n = 335, early screening n = 241)., Results: Early screening increased the proportion of women diagnosed before 24 weeks' gestation (n = 59/335, 17.6% vs n = 103/241, 42.7%, p < 0.001) but did not change the average monthly rate of diagnosis. Early screening increased the median duration of GDM during pregnancy (71 vs 93 days of gestation, p < 0.001) with no significant changes in the pharmacological management. Early screening improved the primary composite outcome (emergency caesarean section, neonatal hypoglycaemia and macrosomia; n = 138/335, 41.2% vs n = 73/241, 30.3%, adjusted Odds Ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.62 [0.43-0.91]., Conclusions: There is a role for early screening and management of GDM however it is unclear whether this represents a cost-effective intervention., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Metformin is widely used to treat gestational diabetes (GDM), but many women remain hyperglycaemic and require additional therapy. We aimed to determine recruitment rate and participant throughput in a randomised trial of glibenclamide compared with standard therapy insulin (added to maximum tolerated metformin) for treatment of GDM., Methods: We conducted an open label feasibility study in 5 UK antenatal clinics among pregnant women 16 to 36 weeks' gestation with metformin-treated GDM. Women failing to achieve adequate glycaemic control on metformin monotherapy were randomised to additional glibenclamide or insulin. The primary outcome was recruitment rate. We explored feasibility with uptake, retention, adherence, safety, glycaemic control, participant satisfaction and clinical outcomes., Results: Records of 197 women were screened and 23 women randomised to metformin and glibenclamide (n = 13) or metformin and insulin (n = 10). Mean (SD) recruitment rate was 0.39 (0.62) women/centre/month. 9/13 (69.2%, 95%CI 38.6-90.9%) women adhered to glibenclamide and all provided outcome data (100% retention). There were no episodes of severe hypoglycaemia, but metformin and insulin gave superior glycaemic control to metformin and glibenclamide, with fewer blood glucose readings <3.5 mmol/l (median [IQR] difference/woman/week of treatment 0.58 [0.03-1.87])., Conclusions: A large randomised controlled trial comparing glibenclamide or insulin in combination with metformin for women with GDM would be feasible but is unlikely to be worthwhile, given the poorer glycaemic control with glibenclamide and metformin in this pilot study. The combination of metformin and glibenclamide should be reserved for women with GDM with true needle phobia or inability to use insulin therapy., Trial Registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov registration number:NCT02080377 February 11th 2014.

Objectives: To determine whether attendance at a specialised multidisciplinary antenatal clinic for women with class III obesity (BMI >40 kg/m 2 ) is associated with improved clinical outcomes compared with standard antenatal care., Design: Retrospective cohort study using routinely collected data from electronic patient record., Setting: Community and hospital based antenatal care., Participants: Women with a singleton pregnancy with class III obesity booked for antenatal care and delivered in one of two hospitals in NHS Lothian, Scotland, UK between 2008 and 2014. Maternal and offspring outcomes were compared in women who attended a specialised obesity clinic (n=511) compared with standard antenatal care (n=502)., Main Outcome Measures: Included stillbirth, low birth weight, gestational diabetes, induction of labour and caesarean section., Results: Compared with standard care, women receiving specialist care were less likely to have a stillbirth (OR 0.12, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.97) and a low birthweight baby (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.99) and more likely to be screened for (100% vs 73.6%; p<0.001) and diagnosed with (26.0% vs 12.5%; p<0.001) gestational diabetes, to require induction of labour (38.4% vs 29.9%; p=0.009), an elective (20.3% vs 17.7%; p<0.001) and emergency (23.9% vs 20.3%; p<0.001) caesarean section and attend antenatal triage one or more times during pregnancy (77.7% vs 53.1%; p<0.001). Women attending the specialist clinic had a higher BMI (44.5 kg/m 2 (4.3) vs 43.2 kg/m 2 (3.1); p<0.001) and were more likely to be nulliparous (46.0% vs 24.9%; p<0.001). There were no other differences in maternal demographic or maternal and offspring outcomes between groups., Conclusions: Attendance at a specialised antenatal clinic for obesity is associated with reduced rates of stillbirth and low birth weight and improved detection of gestational diabetes. The improvement in clinical outcomes is associated with an increase in healthcare attendance to obstetric triage and clinical interventions including induction of labour and caesarean section., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.)

Objective: Diet therapy in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has focused on carbohydrate restriction but is poorly substantiated. In this pilot randomized clinical trial, we challenged the conventional low-carbohydrate/higher-fat (LC/CONV) diet, hypothesizing that a higher-complex carbohydrate/lower-fat (CHOICE) diet would improve maternal insulin resistance (IR), adipose tissue (AT) lipolysis, and infant adiposity., Research Design and Methods: At 31 weeks, 12 diet-controlled overweight/obese women with GDM were randomized to an isocaloric LC/CONV (40% carbohydrate/45% fat/15% protein; n = 6) or CHOICE (60%/25%/15%; n = 6) diet. All meals were provided. AT was biopsied at 37 weeks., Results: After ∼7 weeks, fasting glucose (P = 0.03) and free fatty acids (P = 0.06) decreased on CHOICE, whereas fasting glucose increased on LC/CONV (P = 0.03). Insulin suppression of AT lipolysis was improved on CHOICE versus LC/CONV (56 vs. 31%, P = 0.005), consistent with improved IR. AT expression of multiple proinflammatory genes was lower on CHOICE (P < 0.01). Infant adiposity trended lower with CHOICE (10.1 ± 1.4 vs. 12.6 ± 2%, respectively)., Conclusions: A CHOICE diet may improve maternal IR and infant adiposity, challenging recommendations for a LC/CONV diet., (© 2016 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.)

Background: Maternal obesity is associated with increased birthweight, and obesity and premature mortality in adult offspring. The mechanism by which maternal obesity leads to these outcomes is not well understood, but maternal hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance are both implicated. We aimed to establish whether the insulin sensitising drug metformin improves maternal and fetal outcomes in obese pregnant women without diabetes., Methods: We did this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in antenatal clinics at 15 National Health Service hospitals in the UK. Pregnant women (aged ≥16 years) between 12 and 16 weeks' gestation who had a BMI of 30 kg/m(2) or more and normal glucose tolerance were randomly assigned (1:1), via a web-based computer-generated block randomisation procedure (block size of two to four), to receive oral metformin 500 mg (increasing to a maximum of 2500 mg) or matched placebo daily from between 12 and 16 weeks' gestation until delivery of the baby. Randomisation was stratified by study site and BMI band (30-39 vs ≥40 kg/m(2)). Participants, caregivers, and study personnel were masked to treatment assignment. The primary outcome was Z score corresponding to the gestational age, parity, and sex-standardised birthweight percentile of liveborn babies delivered at 24 weeks or more of gestation. We did analysis by modified intention to treat. This trial is registered, ISRCTN number 51279843., Findings: Between Feb 3, 2011, and Jan 16, 2014, inclusive, we randomly assigned 449 women to either placebo (n=223) or metformin (n=226), of whom 434 (97%) were included in the final modified intention-to-treat analysis. Mean birthweight at delivery was 3463 g (SD 660) in the placebo group and 3462 g (548) in the metformin group. The estimated effect size of metformin on the primary outcome was non-significant (adjusted mean difference -0·029, 95% CI -0·217 to 0·158; p=0·7597). The difference in the number of women reporting the combined adverse outcome of miscarriage, termination of pregnancy, stillbirth, or neonatal death in the metformin group (n=7) versus the placebo group (n=2) was not significant (odds ratio 3·60, 95% CI 0·74-17·50; p=0·11)., Interpretation: Metformin has no significant effect on birthweight percentile in obese pregnant women. Further follow-up of babies born to mothers in the EMPOWaR study will identify longer-term outcomes of metformin in this population; in the meantime, metformin should not be used to improve pregnancy outcomes in obese women without diabetes., Funding: The Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation (EME) Programme, a Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research partnership., (Copyright © 2015 Chiswick et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: The last study of screening practices for gestational diabetes (GDM) in the UK concluded that a lack of consensus about screening was due to a lack of clinical guidelines. We aimed to determine current practices in Scotland since new guidelines recommended that diagnosis should be made at a lower level of hyperglycaemia., Method and Results: An online questionnaire designed to investigate the screening and management of GDM was distributed to all maternity units in Scotland managing women with GDM (n = 15) for completion by relevant clinical team members. The response rate was 100%. Considerable variation in clinical practice existed between units. Thirteen units (86.7%) had adopted the lower glucose tolerance values for diagnosis of GDM (fasting ≥5.1 mmol/L; 2-h ≥8.5 mmol/L) recommended by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in 2010. Available data from units using this guideline (n = 3) revealed a significant increase in the percentage of women diagnosed with GDM between 2010 and 2012 (2010: 1.28%, 2012: 2.54%; p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: Despite provision of clinical guidelines, there are still inconsistencies in screening and management of GDM in Scotland. If a similar increase in the prevalence of GDM is experienced across Scotland, there will be major implications for health care provision and resource allocation., (© The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.)

Objective: Our objective was to identify among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) the patient characteristics that predict treatment failure with glyburide., Methods: Historical cohort of 95 GDM women offered glyburide after dietary failure with defined entry criteria., Results: From November 2000 to May 2005, 118 women had 124 pregnancies and were offered glyburide therapy by the 2 codirectors of our Diabetes Clinic. All but 2 women elected glyburide, and 27 pregnancies were excluded due to criteria defined a priori to the study. A cohort of 95 women with 95 pregnancies were included for analysis. Nineteen percent failed glyburide. Significant predictors of failure were maternal age (34 years compared with 29 years, P = .001), earlier diagnosis of GDM (23 weeks compared with 28 weeks, P = .002), higher gravidity (P = .01) and parity (P = .03), and a higher mean fasting blood glucose (112 compared with 100 mg/dL; P = .045) compared with those successfully treated. After adjustment in the multivariable logistic regression analysis, GDM women diagnosed at a gestational age less than 25 weeks were 8.3 times more likely to fail glyburide compared with those diagnosed after 25 weeks. Maternal and fetal outcomes were favorable with a cesarean delivery rate of 25% and macrosomia rate of 7%., Conclusion: Glyburide was more likely to fail in women diagnosed earlier in pregnancy, of older age and multiparity, and with higher fasting glucoses, suggesting that earlier glucose intolerance and a reduced capacity to respond to an insulin secretagogue may distinguish this group. The time for glyburide as an alternative treatment has come; however, it should be prescribed after careful consideration of these patient characteristics to minimize the likelihood of failure., Level of Evidence: II-2.