Iranian Endocrine Society Guidelines for Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Context: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an important endocrine disorder in perinatology, associated with several maternal and neonatal complications. Development of national guidelines can inform clinicians, health policymakers, and researchers about the most recent evidence and practical issues of diagnosis and management of GDM.

Objectives: We aimed to develop clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of GDM in Iranian pregnant women.

Evidence acquisition: The Iranian Endocrine Society constituted a task force, consisting of obstetrician-gynecologists, endocrinologists, a clinical nutritionist, a clinical epidemiologist, and a librarian, to review the published literature and propose national guidelines for the diagnosis and management of GDM. The consensus was reached on all recommendations in several group meetings with a majority decision. The evidence and recommendations were graded according to the American College of Physicians' Guideline Grading System.

Results: The proposed guidelines included recommendations for screening, diagnosis, and management of GDM in Iran.

Conclusions: By using an evidence-based approach, these national GDM guidelines can address important clinical issues in the diagnosis and management of Iranian women with GDM.

Keywords: Disease Management; Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM); Guideline; Iran; Screening.

Figure 1.. Algorithm for the screening of diabetes at the first visit of pregnancy. Abbreviations: FPG, fasting plasma glucose; SMBG, self-monitoring of blood glucose.

Figure 2.. The two-step approach for GDM screening at 24 - 28 weeks of gestation. Abbreviations: GCT, Glucose Challenge Test; OGTT, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test; FPG, Fasting Plasma Glucose; GDM, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.