Sociodemographic Profile and Clinical Outcomes of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Regional Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study From Mauritius

TL;DR

This study examines the sociodemographic profile and outcomes of gestational diabetes in Mauritius, revealing high prevalence and common complications.

Contribution

The study provides the first detailed data on gestational diabetes in Mauritius, including prevalence and specific risk factors for Mauritian women.

Findings

The prevalence of gestational diabetes in Mauritius is 16%.

Common maternal complications include preterm delivery and gestational hypertension.

Neonatal complications such as low birth weight are prevalent among GDM cases.

Abstract

Introduction: Mauritius is among the countries with the highest disease burden globally in diabetes mellitus (DM), ranking twelfth in terms of disease impact. Though data is available for DM in Mauritius, there is a lack of data and research on gestational DM (GDM) in Mauritius. This study aimed to bridge this gap to determine the sociodemographic details of GDM patients in the Mauritian context, the prevalence of GDM in Mauritius, identify the risk factors predisposing Mauritian women to GDM, and assess maternal and fetal/neonatal complications of GDM in Mauritius.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women diagnosed with GDM at Dr. A. G. Jeetoo Hospital, Port Louis, Mauritius, from September 2019 to February 2020.

Results: The mean age of GDM patients was 27.90 ± SD 5.998 years. Most of the patients belonged to the age group 20-30 years (97, 52.2%). Passive smokers accounted for 50 (26.9%). Most of the patients were housewives (97, 52.2%), and the common treatment offered to GDM patients was dietary modification (160, 86%), followed by insulin therapy (16, 8.6%), and metformin in 1 (0.5%). Maternal complications were found in 75 (40.3%) of the patients with GDM. Preterm delivery was the most common type of maternal complication, followed by recurrent urinary tract infection and gestational hypertension. Neonatal complications were present in 60 (32.3%) of the patients. The most common neonatal complication was low birth weight (LBW), followed by hypoglycemia and jaundice.

Conclusion: The prevalence of GDM was found to be 16% in Mauritius. A total of 52.2% patients belonged to the age group of 20-30 years and were housewives (52.2%) by occupation. Most of them followed Christianity (58.6%). About 64.5% of the patients had a positive family history of DM, followed by other comorbidities (10.8%). GDM may cause significant maternal and neonatal complications. This study bridges the existing knowledge gap by determining the prevalence of GDM in Mauritius and identifying the risk factors specific to Mauritian women. The most common neonatal complications were LBW, followed by hypoglycemia and jaundice. The most common maternal complication was preterm delivery followed by recurrent UTI and gestational hypertension.

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