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Gestational diabetes mellitus: from consensus to action on screening and treatment

H David McIntyre, N Wah Cheung, Jeremy J N Oats and David Simmons
Med J Aust 2005; 183 (6): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2005.tb07056.x
Published online: 19 September 2005

Results of a recent Australian trial suggest it is time to stop equivocating about screening and treatment

The 1998 consensus guidelines on the management of gestational diabetes mellitus from the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society emphasised that, “due to a lack of good quality randomised controlled clinical trials in the area of [gestational diabetes mellitus], these guidelines are based on what is a reasonable consensus of informed opinion in Australasia”.1 The clear benefits of treating women with gestational diabetes according to these guidelines have now been demonstrated by the Australian Carbohydrate Intolerance Study in Pregnant Women (ACHOIS).2


  • 1 Mater Health Services, Brisbane, QLD.
  • 2 Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW.
  • 3 The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
  • 4 Waikato Clinical School, University of Auckland, Hamilton, New Zealand.


Correspondence: 

  • 1. Hoffman L, Nolan C, Wilson JD, et al. Gestational diabetes mellitus — management guidelines. The Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society. Med J Aust 1998; 169: 93-97. <MJA full text>
  • 2. Crowther CA, Hiller JE, Moss JR, et al. Effect of treatment of gestational diabetes on pregnancy outcomes. N Engl J Med 2005; 352: 2477-2486.
  • 3. Moses RG, Moses J, Davis WS. Gestational diabetes: do lean young Caucasian women need to be tested? Diabetes Care 1998; 21: 1803-1806.
  • 4. Martin FI. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Med J Aust 1991; 155: 112.
  • 5. HAPO Study Cooperative Research Group. The Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2002; 78: 69-77.
  • 6. Simmons D. Gestational diabetes mellitus: growing consensus on management, but not diagnosis. N Z Med J 1999; 112: 45-46.
  • 7. Dabelea D, Knowler WC, Pettitt DJ. Effect of diabetes in pregnancy on offspring: follow-up research in the Pima Indians. J Matern Fetal Med 2000; 9: 83-88.
  • 8. Gregory KD, Kjos SL, Peters RK. Cost of non-insulin-dependent diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes: implications for prevention. Obstet Gynecol 1993; 81: 782-786.
  • 9. Weiderman WC, Marcuz L. Gestational diabetes: a triage model of care for rural perinatal providers. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996; 174: 1719-1723.

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