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Impact of adopting the 2013 World Health Organization criteria for diagnosis of gestational diabetes in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort: a prospective study

Chi C 1 , Loy SL 2 , Chan SY 3 , Choong C 3 , Cai S 4 , Soh SE 5 Show all authors , Tan KH 6 , Yap F 7 , Gluckman PD 5 , Godfrey KM 8 , Shek LP 9 , Chan JKY 2 , Kramer MS 4 , Chong YS 3

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore. claudia_chi@nuhs.edu.sg
  • 2 Department of Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, 229899, Singapore
  • 3 Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
  • 4 Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
  • 5 Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 117609, Singapore
  • 6 Department of Maternal Fetal Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, 229899, Singapore
  • 7 Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
  • 8 Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
  • 9 Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2018 03 21;18(1):69.
PMID: 29562895 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-018-1707-3

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of adopting the 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) diagnostic criteria on the rates of gestational diabetes (GDM), pregnancy outcomes and identification of women at future risk of type 2 diabetes.

METHODS: During a period when the 1999 WHO GDM criteria were in effect, pregnant women were universally screened using a one-step 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test at 26-28 weeks' gestation. Women were retrospectively reclassified according to the 2013 criteria, but without the 1-h glycaemia measurement. Pregnancy outcomes and glucose tolerance at 4-5 years post-delivery were compared for women with GDM classified by the 1999 criteria alone, GDM by the 2013 criteria alone, GDM by both criteria and without GDM by both sets of criteria.

RESULTS: Of 1092 women, 204 (18.7%) and 142 (13.0%) were diagnosed with GDM by the 1999 and 2013 WHO criteria, respectively, with 27 (2.5%) reclassified to GDM and 89 (8.2%) reclassified to non-GDM when shifting from the 1999 to 2013 criteria. Compared to women without GDM by both criteria, cases reclassified to GDM by the 2013 criteria had an increased risk of neonatal jaundice requiring phototherapy (relative risk (RR) = 2.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32, 5.86); despite receiving treatment for GDM, cases reclassified to non-GDM by the 2013 criteria had higher risks of prematurity (RR = 2.17, 95% CI 1.12, 4.24), neonatal hypoglycaemia (RR = 3.42, 95% CI 1.04, 11.29), jaundice requiring phototherapy (RR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.04, 2.82), and a higher rate of abnormal glucose tolerance at 4-5 years post-delivery (RR = 3.39, 95% CI 2.30, 5.00).

CONCLUSIONS: Adoption of the 2013 WHO criteria, without the 1-h glycaemia measurement, reduced the GDM rate. Lowering the fasting glucose threshold identified women who might benefit from treatment, but raising the 2-h threshold may fail to identify women at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and future metabolic outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01174875 . Registered 1 July 2010 (retrospectively registered).

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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