Screening for gestational diabetes
The screening will be depending on local policy, but is likely to follow a regime similar to this:
Women who have risk factors will be:
- Screened in early pregnancy with tests for random blood glucose and HbA1c (which measures long-term blood glucose levels over around three months)
- Screened at 24–28 weeks with an oral glucose tolerance test- which involves testing your blood glucose before and after a sugary drink.
NICE (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines, which most centres follow nationally, advises that only women with risk factors will be screened for GDM.
The cut-offs for a diagnosis of gestational diabetes vary, the following guidelines are used in England and Scotland:
| Test | NICE Guidelines (England) | SIGN Guidelines (Scotland) |
|---|---|---|
| Fasting blood glucose (taken without eating or drinking in over 2 hours) | 5.6 mmol/L | 5.1 mmol/L |
| Post-prandial blood glucose (taken 2 hours after eating/drinking) | 7.8 mmol/L | 8.5 mmol/L |
If your blood glucose levels are greater than or equal to the guidelines given for gestational diabetes, you should be offered a review with the combined diabetes and antenatal clinic within one week. You will need to attend more antenatal appointments than normal to check on blood glucose levels and to monitor your baby’s growth.
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