Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy (McCance & Huether 2019). The management and care of gestational diabetes are much the same as any other diabetic pregnancy: blood glucose should be monitored and controlled with diet and insulin. Rosenthal & Burchum (2021) reports that the diabetic state disappears almost immediately after delivery in most cases, permitting discontinuation of insulin. However, if the diabetic state persists beyond parturition, it is no longer considered gestational and should be rediagnosed and treated accordingly. In women taking an oral drug for type 2 diabetes, the current practice is to discontinue the oral medication and switch to insulin (Rosenthal & Burchum 2021). The only exception is the oral agent Metformin, which is often satisfactory for managing type 2 diabetes in pregnancy. Patients who discontinue oral medications can resume oral therapy after delivery.