i need to know more about gestational diabetes mellitus because my 1 hr glucose test was positive?
GDM, like other forms of diabetes, is defined as glucose intolerance, but with its first onset during pregnancy. Approximately 3.5% of non-Aboriginal women, and up to 18% of Aboriginal women will develop GDM. Risk factors for developing this condition include: • a previous diagnosis of GDM • age over 35 years • obesity • a history of polycystic ovary syndrome • hirsutism (excessive body and facial hair) • acanthosis nigricans (a skin disorder characterized by the appearance of darkened patches of skin) • being a member of a population considered to be at high risk for diabetes, including women of Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or African descent. Although some are at greater risk than others, the Canadian Diabetes Association 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada recommend that all women be screened for GDM between 24 and 28 weeks’ gestation using a glucose tolerance test*. For women with multiple risk factors, this testing
