Obstetric and Perinatal Adverse Outcomes of Mild Gestational Hyperglycemia: A Concise Review

Abstract

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus defined as glucose intolerance with onset during pregnancy, is a common disease affecting approximately 7-13% of pregnant women, depending on the study area. Maternal hyperglycaemia, which is below the diagnostic criteria for GDM, is associated with an increased risk of various adverse maternal and infant outcomes, such as caesarean delivery, preeclampsia, birth injury, macrosomia and neonatal hypoglycemia. Fortunately, several clinicians have reported that managing GDM and hyperglycemia that is below the diagnostic criteria for GDM improves maternal and infant outcomes. There is very little information on obstetrics outcomes of pregnant women with positive Glucose Challenge Test but negative for Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. This paper aims to provide information on possible obstetric and perinatal complications of pregnant women with a glucose challenge test positive and a negative or one abnormal value in oral glucose tolerance test. Methods: A literature search was performed in order to identify publications. The latest prospective and casecontrol studies with multivariate Cox models were analysed, as well as some recent meta-analysis, which were considered for the study. Results and conclusion: The findings shown in this review suggest that mild hyperglycaemia associated to pregnancy is mainly related to maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes as macrosomia, gestational hypertensive disorders, polyhydramnios and neonatal hypoglycaemia. Management of pregnant women with glucose intolerance could prevent obstetric and perinatal complications as in the treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus.