Managing gestational diabetes

Abstract

Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed in the second or third trimester of pregnancy in a patient who was not diagnosed with diabetes before pregnancy. Timely identification and management of gestational diabetes is important to prevent fetal, infant, and maternal complications. Physical activity and dietary changes remain the hallmark of treatment, with insulin becoming the medication of choice if further intervention is needed. This article reviews the steps clinicians can take to screen for patients with gestational diabetes, recommendations for future type 2 diabetes screening, and how to manage gestational diabetes during the course of a patient's pregnancy based on the American Diabetes Association's current standards of care.