Factors associated with compliance to the recommendations for postpartum diabetes mellitus screening among women with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective Since women with GDM have an increased risk to develop type 2 DM, a 75 g OGTT is recommended 6-12 weeks postpartum for all women with GDM. However, screening rates remain low. The aim of this study was to find factors affect the rate of postpartum DM screening. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study between 2016 and 2017 at the Soroka Medical Center, comparing women with GDM who underwent postpartum DM screening test to those who did not. Results 257 women who had a diagnosis of GDM and met the inclusion criteria were included. 53 (20.6%) had a postpartum DM screening test and 204 (79.4%) did not complete the postpartum DM screening. Women who underwent a DM screening postpartum were more likely to be older, with significantly higher rates of vacuum-assisted delivery, more likely to be diagnosed with GDMA2 as compared to GDMA1 during pregnancy and, with high probability of receiving recommendations for screening at a postpartum visit. Conclusions The rates of postpartum DM screening for women with GDM are low and need to increase. Age greater than 25, vacuum delivery, GDMA2, and having received a recommendation for postpartum screening increased the likelihood of undergoing a postpartum DM screening.

Automated summary

Factors such as older age, vacuum-assisted delivery, GDMA2 diagnosis, and receiving recommendations for screening at a postpartum visit increase the likelihood of women with GDM undergoing postpartum DM screening.