Diabetes and Diabetic Nursing Care

Objective: The objective of this work is to study the effect of age, parity and body mass index (BMI) on the incidences of positive 50g glucose challenge test (OGCT) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in healthy pregnant Omani women.

Method: In this prospective study, a 50 g OGCT was performed to307 health pregnant Omani women at 24-28 weeks of gestation. When venous plasma glucose concentration (VPG) aft er 1 hour was >7.8 mmol/l, OGCT was considered positive. Women with a positive OGCT had a confi rmatory diagnosis of GDM made by performing 2-h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). When either fasting or 2-h post 75 g OGTT values were >5.5 mmol/I and >8 mmol/l respectively, women were considered diabetic.

Results: We screened 307 women, total number of women with positive OGCT was 83 (27.03%) and GDM 23 (7.5%). The incidences of positive OGCT and GDM increased significantly with increasing maternal age, from 20.0% and 2.2%, respectively in women aged <25 years to 37.8% and 14.7%, respectively in women aged >35 years, (P=0.02 and P=0.009, respectively). The incidences of positive OGCT and GDM increased markedly with increasing pre-pregnancy BMI, from 19.8% and 3.8%, respectively in women with BMI <25 kg/m2 to 37.8% and 9.9%, respectively in women with BMI >25 kg/m2, (P=0.02 and P=0.04, respectively). Th ere is steady increase in the incidences of positive OGCT and GDM with increasing parity. Conclusions: Maternal age and pre-pregnancy BMI have a profound impact on the incidences of positive of OGCT and GDM.