PREVALENCE OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES IN A GROUP OF WOMEN RECEIVING TREATMENT AT THE MEXICAN-INSTITUTE-OF-SOCIAL-SECURITY IN AGUASCALIENTES, MEXICO

The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence and associa ted clinical variables of gestational diabetes in a group of pregnant women, using a prospective, longitudinal and comparative study. The se tting where the study was performed was an urban General Hospital, and outpatient clinics of the Institute Mexicano del Seguro Social in Agu ascalientes City, Mexico. The subjects were 187 pregnant women receivi ng prenatal care in two health care outpatient clinics where they had given informed consent for a 1-year period. All selected women without a history of diabetes mellitus were studied and scheduled for a full oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed at 24 - 28 weeks of gesta tion. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed according to the American Dia betes Association. Results are shown for comparative purposes in three groups: 167 women with normal OGTT, 7 women with one OGTT abnormal va lue, and 13 women with OGTT criteria for gestational diabetes. The stu dy protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board. We found a prevalence of 6.9% of gestational diabetes in our study group, and si gnificant differences (p < 0.05) among parity, fasting blood glucose, macrosomy, family history of diabetes, obesity of 90 kg or more, and a ge >35 years. Body mass index mean was over 25 kg/m(2) in all groups. The 6.9% prevalence of gestational diabetes we found is higher than da ta between 3.9 and 6% previously reported in Mexico. This could reflec t a selection bias of our sample; however, it represents a serious pub lic health problem. Appropriate screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment must be implemented.