Rates and risk factors for recurrence of gestational diabetes

OBJECTIVE - To determine the recurrence rate of gestational diabetes (GDM) during a subsequent pregnancy among women who had GDM during an index pregn ancy and to identify factors associated with the probability of recurrence. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A retrospective longitudinal study was perfor med in Nova Scotia, Canada, of women who were diagnosed as having GDM durin g a pregnancy between the years of 1980 and 1996 and a ho had at least one subsequent pregnancy during this time period. When only the index and first subsequent pregnancy were analyzed, the cohort included 651 women. The rec urrence rate of GDM in the pregnancy alter the pregnancy with the initial d iagnosis of GDM was determined. Multivariate regression models were constru cted to model the recurrence of GDM in a subsequent pregnancy as functions of potential predictors to estimate RRs and Cls. RESULTS - The rate of recurrence of GDM in the pregnancy subsequent to the index pregnancy was found to be 35.6% (95% CI = 31.9-39.3%), Multivariate r egression models showed that infant birth weight in the index pregnancy and maternal prepregnancy weight before the subsequent pregnancy were predicti ve of recurrent GDM. CONCLUSIONS - In this large cohort of women, slightly more than one-third u i the subjects had diabetes in a subsequent pregnancy, which is consistent with recurrence rates in other predominately white populations. Strategies to reduce the occurrence of neonatal macrosomia and maternal prepregnancy o besity may help lower the rate of recurrence of GDM.