GESTATIONAL DIABETES DIAGNOSTIC-CRITERIA - LONG-TERM MATERNAL FOLLOW-UP

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if the risk of h aving diabetes later in life was different in those who were gestation al diabetic by Coustan criteria and not by National Diabetes Data Grou p criteria and those who are gestational diabetic only by National Dia betes Data Group criteria. STUDY DESIGN: Between 1988 and 1990, 331 pa tients from the Springfield area who were diagnosed as gestational dia betic by either criteria since 1975 were examined for the development of diabetes by history or by 2-hour, 75 gm glucose tolerance test. Nat ional Diabetes Data Group criteria were used to determine normality or diabetic abnormality. Variables associated with diabetes were obtaine d. The data were analyzed using three groups: (1) gestational diabetic by National Diabetes Data Group criteria, (2) gestational diabetic by Coustan's criteria only, and (3) both groups 1 and 2. RESULTS: Group 1 had 190 (57.4%) and group 2 had 141 patients (42.6%), of which 25.3% and 25.5% had diabetic abnormality, respectively. Variables predictiv e for the development of diabetic abnormality were glucose tolerance t est fasting value, number of gestational diabetic pregnancies, time to follow-up, and prepregnancy weight index. There were no differences i n these variables between the normal patients or those with diabetic a bnormality in groups 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: Because Coustan criteria cla ssify an additional 68.9% patients who have the same risk and risk fac tors for later development of diabetic abnormality and pregnancy compl ications compared with patients wile are gestational diabetic by Natio nal Diabetes Data Group criteria, the criteria of Carpenter and Cousta n should be adopted as the standard for diagnosing gestational diabete s.