# Prevalence and Risk Factors of Confirmed Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Pregnant Women With Prior Positive Screening: A Case-Control Study

## TL;DR

This study finds that most pregnant women in Saudi Arabia who initially screen positive for gestational diabetes are confirmed to have it, with no clear risk factors identified.

## Contribution

The study identifies a high prevalence of confirmed gestational diabetes following initial screening in Saudi Arabia and suggests high gravidity and parity as potential risk factors.

## Key findings

- 75.4% of pregnant women who initially screened positive for GDM were confirmed to have it.
- No significant differences in age, nationality, or clinical factors were found between confirmed GDM cases and controls.
- High gravidity and parity were observed in the cohort, suggesting possible susceptibility to GDM.

## Abstract

Background: Saudi Arabia has a higher rate of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) than most other countries. There is a paucity of data on the risk factors for GDM, particularly positive screening for diabetes in the initial period of pregnancy.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of confirmed GDM in pregnant women who initially screened positive for GDM, as well as to identify its association with age, nationality, and clinical risk factors.

Patients and methods: This case-control study was conducted retrospectively at a tertiary referral center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It included pregnant women who were referred between January 2019 and December 2022 after having tested positive on a 50 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). They subsequently underwent a 75 g or 100 g confirmatory OGTT at our center. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of those with confirmed GDM (cases) and those with negative confirmatory OGTT (controls) were compared.

Results: The majority of participants (75.4%) had confirmed GDM. However, there were no significant differences between cases and controls with regard to age, nationality, or clinical or pregnancy-related factors. Of note, the cohort was characterized by high gravidity and high parity, which may indicate susceptibility to GDM.

Conclusion: The study findings support the usefulness of the 50 g OGTT for the screening of pregnant women at high risk for GDM. In addition, high gravidity and parity may also be risk factors for GDM, warranting closer monitoring for GDM and further research in a high-natality population such as that of Saudi Arabia.