Search

The optimal process for detecting and treating gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains controversial, with wide variances in practice within and between countries. A recent pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) undertaken by Hillier et al. [1] in the USA has raised renewed worldwide interest in and discussion of GDM diagnosis.

Hyperglycemia is common during pregnancy, involving multisystem adaptations. Pregnancy-induced metabolic changes increase insulin resistance. Pregnancy-induced insulin resistance adds to preexisting insulin resistance. Preexisting pancreatic β-cell defect compromises the ability to enhance insulin secretion, leading to hyperglycemia. Women with type 2 DM have similar rates of major congenital malformations, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality, but an even higher risk of perinatal mortality. In utero type 2 DM exposure confers greater risk and reduces time to development of type 2 DM in offspring. Preconception care to improve metabolic control in women with type 2 diabetes is critical.

Gestational diabetes mellitus, the most frequent medical complication of pregnancy, affects 5-6% of women in the United States with the use of the currently predominant Carpenter-Coustan criteria, which still represent the preferred approach of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Alternative criteria proposed by the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups would likely increase gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence to 15-20%, because of both a 1-step testing policy and the requirement for only 1 elevated glucose value for diagnosis. Increasing gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence relates to older maternal age and the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. This increased gestational diabetes mellitus prevalence is consistent with 29.3% prevalence of prediabetes and 4.5% prevalence of known diabetes outside pregnancy in US adults from 20-44 years of age. Gestational diabetes mellitus according to the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups criteria is associated with almost twice the risk of large-for-gestational-age babies, increased fetal adiposity, neonatal hyperinsulinemia and preeclampsia, and a 50% higher risk of preterm delivery and shoulder dystocia. The recent publication of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Follow Up Study provides further evidence regarding the influence of gestational diabetes mellitus on long-term maternal and infant health. This study clearly demonstrates that hyperglycemia in pregnancy, untreated and identified post hoc by the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups criteria, carries a 41.5% risk of maternal prediabetes (odds ratio, 3.72; 95% confidence interval, 3.09-4.47) and 10.7% risk of type 2 diabetes (odds ratio, 7.63; 95% confidence interval, 5.33-10.95) after 11.4 years of follow up. Gestational diabetes mellitus was also associated with higher rates of childhood overweight and obesity (prevalence 39.3% with maternal gestational diabetes mellitus; odds ratio, 1.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.56-2.44). This article places these findings in the context of other recent studies that have demonstrated that interventions that include lifestyle measures and/or metformin offer a >50% reduction in the risk of women with gestational diabetes mellitus experiencing the development of overt diabetes mellitus after their index gestational diabetes mellitus pregnancy. Although prevention of obesity and prediabetes in offspring by pregnancy treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus has not been demonstrated to date, we argue that the immediate pregnancy benefits and opportunities for long-term improvements in maternal health justify a reevaluation of the current ambivalent approach taken by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis, which currently allow for a choice of alternative criteria. The Carpenter-Coustan or National Diabetes Data Group criteria, listed as preferred criteria by American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, markedly limit the frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus in comparison with the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups criteria and limit the opportunity for immediate and long-term follow up and treatment. We consider that new information from the Hyperglycemia and Pregnancy Outcome Follow Up Study and other recent publications on long-term maternal and offspring risk provides compelling arguments for a more comprehensive approach to the promotion of maternal and infant health through all the life cycle.

© 2021 The Authors. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is defined as the failure of the fetus to meet its growth potential due to a pathological factor, most commonly placental dysfunction. Worldwide, FGR is a leading cause of stillbirth, neonatal mortality, and short- and long-term morbidity. Ongoing advances in clinical care, especially in definitions, diagnosis, and management of FGR, require efforts to effectively translate these changes to the wide range of obstetric care providers. This article highlights agreements based on current research in the diagnosis and management of FGR, and the areas that need more research to provide further clarification of recommendations. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive summary of available evidence along with practical recommendations concerning the care of pregnancies at risk of or complicated by FGR, with the overall goal to decrease the risk of stillbirth and neonatal mortality and morbidity associated with this condition. To achieve these goals, FIGO (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) brought together international experts to review and summarize current knowledge of FGR. This summary is directed at multiple stakeholders, including healthcare providers, healthcare delivery organizations and providers, FIGO member societies, and professional organizations. Recognizing the variation in the resources and expertise available for the management of FGR in different countries or regions, this article attempts to take into consideration the unique aspects of antenatal care in low-resource settings (labelled “LRS” in the recommendations). This was achieved by collaboration with authors and FIGO member societies from low-resource settings such as India, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the commonest medical complication of pregnancy. The association of GDM with immediate pregnancy complications including excess fetal growth and adiposity with subsequent risk of birth trauma and with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is well recognized. However, the associations with wide ranges of longer-term health outcomes for mother and baby, including the lifetime risks of obesity, pre-diabetes, and diabetes and cardiovascular disease have received less attention and few health systems address these important issues in a systematic way. This article reviews historical and recent data regarding prediction of GDM using demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters. We evaluate current and potential future diagnostic approaches designed to most effectively identify GDM and extend this analysis into a critical evaluation of lifestyle and nutritional/pharmacologic interventions designed to prevent the development of GDM. The general approach to management of GDM during pregnancy is then discussed and the major final focus of the article revolves around the importance of a GDM diagnosis as a future marker of the risk of non-communicable disease (NCD), in particular pre-diabetes, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, both in mother and offspring.

In 2019, global diabetes prevalence was 463 million. Diabetes increases the risk of TB and adverse treatment outcomes including death and relapse. Diabetes also increases the risk of severe disease, multi-organ failure, coagulopathy and death in COVID-19. TB and COVID-19 share many features, suggesting opportunities to integrate prevention, diagnosis and care. Three areas for further work are highlighted: better infection control in diabetes clinics, easier and quicker diagnosis using similar technology platforms and optimal blood glucose control. The funding and resources for COVID-19 should be harnessed to improve TB and diabetes care and achieve their respective sustainable development goal targets.

With the increase in obesity prevalence among women of reproductive age globally, the risks of type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and other conditions are rising, with detrimental effects on maternal and newborn health. The period before pregnancy is increasingly recognized as crucial for addressing weight management and reducing malnutrition (both under- and overnutrition) in both parents to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the mother as well as the passage of risk to her offspring. Healthcare practitioners, including obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, and general practitioners, have an important role to play in supporting women in planning a pregnancy and achieving healthy nutrition and weight before pregnancy. In this position paper, the FIGO Pregnancy Obesity and Nutrition Initiative provides an overview of the evidence for preconception clinical guidelines to reduce the risk of NCDs in mothers and their offspring. It encourages healthcare practitioners to initiate a dialogue on women's health, nutrition, and weight management before conception. While acknowledging the fundamental importance of the wider social and environmental determinants of health, this paper focuses on a simple set of recommendations for clinical practice that can be used even in short consultations. The recommendations can be contextualized based on local cultural and dietary practices as part of a system-wide public health approach to influence the wider determinants as well as individual factors influencing preconception health.

An integrated approach to population health, disease surveillance, and preventive care will dominate the health agenda in the post COVID-19 world. Because of their huge burden and the vulnerability imposed during a health crisis, prevention and care of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) will need to be prioritized even further. Maternal and child health are inextricably linked with NCDs and their risk factors. The intergenerational impact of poor maternal nutrition and health conditions during pregnancy, particularly NCD-related pregnancy complications, can be considered as a multiplier of the ongoing pandemic of NCDs. The economic cost of poor maternal health and NCD-related pregnancy complications is likely very high, but is not adequately researched or documented in the context of long-term population health. Interventions to address NCDs in pregnancy have beneficial effects on short-term pregnancy outcomes; but even more importantly, identifying "at-risk" mothers and offspring opens up the opportunity for targeted early preventive action. Preventive actions to address obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases have a common lifestyle approach-identifying any one of these problems in pregnancy provides an opportunity to address them all. Cost-benefit analyses that only focus on the short-term and on one condition do not capture the full value of downstream, long-term benefits for population health. This requires urgent attention from FIGO.

In response to the World Health Organization (WHO) statements and international concerns regarding the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, FIGO has issued the following guidance for the management of pregnant women at the four main settings of pregnancy: (1) ambulatory antenatal care in the outpatient clinics; (2) management in the setting of the obstetrical triage; (3) intrapartum management; and (4) postpartum management and neonatal care. We also provide guidance on the medical treatment of pregnant women with COVID-19 infection.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with a range of adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as increased risk of future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In India, 10%&ndash, 35% of pregnant women develop GDM. In this study, we investigated women&rsquo, s experiences with the dietary and pharmaceutical treatment for GDM in rural and urban Tamil Nadu, India. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 women diagnosed with GDM. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three overall aspects were discovered with several sub-aspects characterizing women&rsquo, s experiences: emotional challenges (fear and apprehension for the baby&rsquo, health and struggling to accept a treatment seen as counterintuitive to being safe and healthy), interpersonal challenges (managing treatment in the near social relations and social support, and coordinating treatment with work and social life), and health system-related challenges (availability and cost of treatment, interaction with health care providers). Some aspects acted as barriers. However, social support and positive, high-quality interactions with health care providers could mitigate some of these barriers and facilitate the treatment process. Greater efforts at awareness creation in the social environment and systemic adjustments in care delivery targeting the individual, family, community and health system levels are needed in order to ensure that women with GDM have the opportunity to access treatment and are enabled and motivated to follow it as well.

The diagnostic criteria for GDM continue to be debated. The arguments presented here may help to dissipate confusion and help build global consensus.Hyperglycemia is one of the most common medical complications of pregnancy. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that, globally, one in six of the 20 million annual live births (16.8%) occur to women with some form of hyperglycemia; 16% of these relate to diabetes in pregnancy (either pre‐existing or diagnosed during the index pregnancy) and the remaining 84% to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).1

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the bedrock for the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Several different types of dietary approaches are used globally, and there is no consensus among the various professional groups as to what constitutes an ideal approach. The conventional approach of limiting carbohydrates at the cost of increasing energy from the fat source may not be most optimal. Instead, allowing higher levels of complex, low-to-medium glycaemic index carbohydrates and adequate fibre through higher consumption of vegetables and fruits seems more beneficial. No particular diet or dietary protocol is superior to another as shown in several comparative studies. However, in each of these studies, one thing was common – the intervention arm included more intensive diet counselling and more frequent visits to the dieticians. For MNT to work, it is imperative that diet advice and nutrition counselling is provided by a dietician, which is easy to understand and use and includes healthy food options, cooking methods, and practical guidance that empower and motivate to make changes towards a healthy eating pattern. Various simple tools to achieve these objectives are available, and in the absence of qualified dieticians, they can be used to train other health care professionals to provide nutrition counselling to women with GDM. Given the impact of GDM on the future health of the mother and offspring, dietary and lifestyle behaviour changes during pregnancy in women with GDM are not only relevant for immediate pregnancy outcomes, but continued adherence is also important for future health.

Aims An estimated 87.6% of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy cases are in low and middle income countries (LMICs). The aim of this study is to review the evidence on barriers and facilitators to programmes and services addressing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in LMICs. Methods A systematic review and narrative synthesis was conducted based on searches in PubMed. A total of 23 qualitative and quantitative studies were included. Results Barriers and facilitators exist at the health system level, individual level and social and societal levels and are often interacting. At the health system level they relate to capacity in terms of human and material resources; availability of feasible and appropriate guidelines; organisational management and referral pathways. Individual level barriers and facilitators include knowledge; risk perception; illness beliefs; financial condition; work obligations; concerns for the baby and hardship associated with services. At the social and societal level important factors are: perceptions and norms related to women’s roles, mobility and health; the knowledge and support of women’s social network; and structural aspects. Conclusions Numerous factors influence programmes and services addressing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy in LMICs. Thus, several components are needed to ensure detection, treatment and follow-up of women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

Estimates indicate that south Asia accounts for over two fifths of the global burden of hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) and the ongoing nutritional and epidemiological transition may make the situation worse. Given their higher risk, all women of south Asian decent require to be tested for HIP. With approximately 37 million births annually in the region requires that 37 million women be tested annually; thereby placing a huge burden on the fragile inadequately resourced health systems in the region with poor awareness and lack of trained manpower. Recommendation for testing must therefore be pragmatic, feasible, convenient and cost effective. Diabetes in pregnancy study group India (DIPSI) has proposed a simple testing protocol that is endorsed by the Indian National Guideline on GDM, and by the FIGO guideline on HIP for use in South Asia. This testing protocol has received widespread support in the region. Despite the many challenges it is encouraging to note that in the four large countries in the region - Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka which account for over 80% of the estimated burden of HIP in south Asia, large scale credible programs have been initiated to address the identified barriers.

Background In 2007, universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was introduced in Tamil Nadu, India. To identify factors hindering or facilitating timely initiation and completion of the GDM screening and diagnosis process, our study investigated how pregnant women in rural and urban Tamil Nadu access and navigate different GDM related health services. Methods The study was carried out in two settings: an urban private diabetes centre and a rural government primary health centre. Observations of the process of screening and diagnosis at the health centres as well as semi-structured interviews with 30 pregnant women and nine health care providers were conducted. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results There were significant differences in the process of GDM screening and diagnosis in the urban and rural settings. Several factors hindering or facilitating timely initiation and completion of the process were identified. Timely attendance required awareness, motivation and opportunity to attend. Women had to attend the health centre at the right time and sometimes at the right gestational age to initiate the test, wait to complete the test and obtain the test report in time to initiate further action. All these steps and requirements were influenced by factors within and outside the health system such as getting right information from health care providers, clinic timings, characteristics of the test, availability of transport, social network and support, and social norms and cultural practices. Conclusions Minimising and aligning complex stepwise processes of prenatal care and GDM screening delivery and attention to the factors influencing it are important for further improving and expanding GDM screening and related services, not only in Tamil Nadu but in other similar low and middle income settings. This study stresses the importance of guidelines and diagnostic criteria which are simple and feasible on the ground. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1429-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

There is growing interest in the interaction between type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and TB, but many research questions remain unanswered. Epidemiologists, basic scientists, and clinical experts recently convened and identified priorities. This is the first of two reviews on this topic, summarizing priority areas of research regarding epidemiology, clinical management, and public health. First, from an epidemiologic point of view, more study is needed to determine the importance of transient hyperglycemia in patients with TB and on the importance of DM for the global epidemic of multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB. Second, regarding the screening and clinical management of combined TB and DM (TB-DM), clinical trials and large cohort studies should examine the benefits of improved DM care as well as prolonged or intensified TB treatment on the outcome of TB-DM and investigate the cost-effectiveness of screening methods for DM among patients newly diagnosed with TB. Third, from a public health and health systems point of view, the population health impact and cost-effectiveness of different interventions to prevent or treat DM and TB in high-burden populations should be examined, and health-system interventions should be developed for routine TB-DM screening, management of DM after completion of TB treatment, and better access to DM services worldwide. Studies are needed across different ethnicities and settings given the heterogeneity of metabolic perturbations, inflammatory responses, medications, and access to health care. Finally, studies should address interactions between TB, DM, and HIV because of the convergence of epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa and some other parts of the world.

There is growing interest in the re-emerging interaction between type 2 diabetes (DM) and TB, but the underlying biologic mechanisms are poorly understood despite their possible implications in clinical management. Experts in epidemiologic, public health, basic science, and clinical studies recently convened and identified research priorities for elucidating the underlying mechanisms for the co-occurrence of TB and DM. We identified gaps in current knowledge of altered immunity in patients with DM during TB, where most studies suggest an underperforming innate immunity, but exaggerated adaptive immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Various molecular mechanisms and pathways may underlie these observations in the DM host. These include signaling induced by excess advanced glycation end products and their receptor, higher levels of reactive oxidative species and oxidative stress, epigenetic changes due to chronic hyperglycemia, altered nuclear receptors, and/or differences in cell metabolism (immunometabolism). Studies in humans at different stages of DM (no DM, pre-DM, and DM) or TB (latent or active TB) should be complemented with findings in animal models, which provide the unique opportunity to study early events in the host-pathogen interaction. Such studies could also help identify biomarkers that will complement clinical studies in order to tailor the prevention of TB-DM, or to avoid the adverse TB treatment outcomes that are more likely in these patients. Such studies will also inform new approaches to host-directed therapies.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with both short- and long-term adverse health consequences for both the mother and her offspring. The aim was to study the prevalence and risk factors for GDM in Beijing. Methods: The study population consisted of 15,194 pregnant women attending prenatal care in 15 hospitals in Beijing, who delivered between June 20, 2013, and November 30, 2013, after 28 weeks of gestation. The participants were selected by cluster sampling from the 15 hospitals identified through random systematic sampling based on the number of deliveries in 2012. A questionnaire was designed to collect information. Results: A total of 2987 (19.7%) women were diagnosed with GDM and 208 (1.4%) had diabetes in pregnancy (DIP). Age (OR: 1.053, 95% CI: 1.033–1.074, P < 0.01), family history of diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.481, 95% CI: 1.254–1.748, P < 0.01), prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.481, 95% CI: 1.254–1.748, P < 0.01), BMI gain before 24 weeks (OR: 1.126, 95% CI: 1.075–1.800, P < 0.01), maternal birth weight (P < 0.01), and fasting plasma glucose at the first prenatal visit (P < 0.01) were identified as risk factors for GDM. In women with birth weight

Women with a history of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk of future diabetes and related Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) as are their offspring. "Transgenerational transmission occurs". Independent of genetic risk, offspring of hyperglycaemic pregnancies are at increased risk of early onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM) and obesity. Differences exist in offspring risk of diabetes and obesity based on time and type of diabetes exposure in utero. There is a risk gradient, wherein type 2 DM exposure confers greater risk and reduces time to development of type 2 DM in the offspring compared with exposure to GDM and no diabetes exposure. These data suggest, glucose dose dependence in risk transmission. Given that the age of onset of prediabetes and type 2 DM is declining many reproductive age women may have undiagnosed diabetes or dysglycaemia when they become pregnant. This has great public health significance and it has become imperative that all pregnant women should be screened for hyperglycemia even if they have no symptoms. Ministry of Health, Government of India has developed the national guidelines for testing, diagnosis and management of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. These guidelines recommend early testing at booking, to be repeated again between 24-28 weeks if negative at first testing. The guideline also recommends that GDM can be diagnosed if the 2 hr PG is ≥140mg/dl after 75 gm of oral glucose administration without regard to the time of the last meal (i.e., fasting or non-fasting). This approach has also been endorsed by International Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) for resource constrained settings.The aim should be to target new born baby's birth weight, appropriate for gestational age (2.5 to 3.5 kg) to prevent the offspring developing NCD in the future. For this to happen early diagnosis and tight maternal glucose control during pregnancy similar to glycaemic level in the normal pregnancy, (FPG between 80 and 90 mg, 2 hr. post prandial between 110 and 120 mg) is necessary.

Item does not contain fulltext

Pre‐eclampsia (PE) is a multisystem disorder that typically affects 2%–5% of pregnant women and is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, especially when the condition is of early onset. Globally, 76 000 women and 500 000 babies die each year from this disorder. Furthermore, women in low‐resource countries are at a higher risk of developing PE compared with those in high‐resource countries. Although a complete understanding of the pathogenesis of PE remains unclear, the current theory suggests a two‐stage process. The first stage is caused by shallow invasion of the trophoblast, resulting in inadequate remodeling of the spiral arteries. This is presumed to lead to the second stage, which involves the maternal response to endothelial dysfunction and imbalance between angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors, resulting in the clinical features of the disorder. Accurate prediction and uniform prevention continue to elude us. The quest to effectively predict PE in the first trimester of pregnancy is fueled by the desire to identify women who are at high risk of developing PE, so that necessary measures can be initiated early enough to improve placentation and thus prevent or at least reduce the frequency of its occurrence. Furthermore, identification of an “at risk” group will allow tailored prenatal surveillance to anticipate and recognize the onset of the clinical syndrome and manage it promptly. PE has been previously defined as the onset of hypertension accompanied by significant proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. Recently, the definition of PE has been broadened. Now the internationally agreed definition of PE is the one proposed by the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP). According to the ISSHP, PE is defined as systolic blood pressure at ≥140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure at ≥90 mm Hg on at least two occasions measured 4 hours apart in previously normotensive women and is accompanied by one or more of the following new‐onset conditions at or after 20 weeks of gestation: 1.Proteinuria (i.e. ≥30 mg/mol protein:creatinine ratio; ≥300 mg/24 hour; or ≥2 + dipstick); 2.Evidence of other maternal organ dysfunction, including: acute kidney injury (creatinine ≥90 μmol/L; 1 mg/dL); liver involvement (elevated transaminases, e.g. alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase >40 IU/L) with or without right upper quadrant or epigastric abdominal pain; neurological complications (e.g. eclampsia, altered mental status, blindness, stroke, clonus, severe headaches, and persistent visual scotomata); or hematological complications (thrombocytopenia–platelet count

Aims: This observational study aims to determine the frequency of occurrence of glucose intolerance in the early weeks of pregnancy. Materials and Methods: New World Health Organization 2013 guidelines recommends “A Single Step Procedure” (SSP) as an option for diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Pregnant women attending 131 prenatal clinics across India for the first time underwent SSP consisting of administration of 75 goral glucose irrespective of the last meal timing and to diagnose GDM with 2 h plasma glucose (PG) value ≥7.8 mmol/L (7.8 mmol/L). Results: In a cohort of n = 11,785, the number of pregnant women who underwent the test in first, second, and third trimesters were 4300, 4632, and 2853, respectively. Documented blood glucose values were available for 9282 pregnant women and in them, diagnosis of GDM was made in 740 (8%). Among them, 233 (31.5%), 320 (43.2%), and 187 (25.3%) were in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively. Positive family history of diabetes (43%) and history of fetal loss in previous pregnancy (27%) was more common in women diagnosed with GDM in the first trimester compared to GDM diagnosed in the second or third trimester. Conclusion: Manifestation of GDM in the early weeks of gestation is quite common.

The St. Vincent's Declaration1 outlined commitments to improve diabetes care in Europe. One amongst its several ambitious goals was to achieve pregnancy outcomes in women with diabetes that approximate those of women without diabetes. Given that most European governments were co-signatories and the declaration had support of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), it was reasonable to expect that swift action would be taken. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The enormity of the health and economic challenges from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is now being understood as evidenced by the adoption of the Political Declaration on NCDs at the high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2011. In addition, NCDs, particularly diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, have significant adverse impacts on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes, and through intrauterine programming, the cycle of vulnerability to NCDs is repeated with increasing risk accumulation in subsequent generations. To improve both the short-term maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes and the long-term population health, NCDs must be addressed simultaneously alongside MCH. There is a great need to carry out operational research to understand the facilitators and barriers to an integrated health system response to jointly address the challenge of improving maternal health and addressing prevention of NCDs and developing scalable programs in real-life settings.

Hyperglycemia in pregnancy (HIP) is recognized as a major underlying cause of pregnancy complications and a contributing cause to health risks throughout the subsequent life of both mothers and babies, with amplification of the global epidemic of non-communicable diseases. Although some aspects of these associations are well described, detailed understanding of basic pathophysiologic mechanisms is lacking. Improved fundamental scientific knowledge must be developed to allow logical strategies for prevention and treatment. During pregnancy, much work is required to replace current empirical approaches to diagnosis and treatment of HIP with evidence based protocols, pragmatically adapted to differing health care and health economic contexts. Further, a life cycle approach to HIP, the risk of immediate pregnancy complications and later health risks to mother and baby must be developed and implemented across a wide range of health care environments. This document aims to outline key focus areas for further basic, epidemiologic, clinical and implementation research in this important area.