Testing for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Australia

The American Diabetes Association published new recommendations for the detection and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus in 2011 (1). These criteria were based on the consensus opinion of the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) (2). The Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) has posted new guidelines (www.adips.org) to replace those used since 1991 (3).The ADIPS guidelines endorse the method of testing and the diagnostic criteria used by the American Diabetes Association. These are early testing for women with high risk factors; no preliminary glucose challenge test; and for all women not known to have diabetes, a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks’ gestation, with gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosed if one of …