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Project

Prediction of pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes and their risk to develop diabetes postpartum.

Recently a one-step screening strategy with more stringent criteria to diagnose gestational diabetes (GDM) has been proposed by ‘The International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups’ (IADPSG). The use of this new screening strategy for GDM remains controversial, mainly because of paucity of data on the cost effectiveness of such strategy, the uncertainty on the clinical relevance of treatment of mild GDM based on the IADPSG criteria and the uncertainty on the risk of women who have had mild GDM to develop type 2 diabetes postpartum. We therefore plan to start a large multi-centric cohort study to search for the best screening strategy for pregestational diabetes early in pregnancy and to investigate the most cost effective screening strategy for GDM as well as the best follow up strategy after pregnancy in women with previous GDM in the Belgian setting. After excluding pregestational diabetes in the first trimester, women will receive universal screening for GDM comparing different methods of screening (two-step vs. one-step) and different diagnostic criteria. In women with previous GDM, the degree of carbohydrate intolerance will be evaluated 3 and 12 months postpartum. Here we wish to gain insight in biomarkers present in women with GDM that will allow prediction of pregnancy outcomes and the risk to develop diabetes after the delivery. Biomarkers for inflammation, insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction and ongoing autoimmune disease will be investigated. These insights will help to better tailor the follow up strategy for both mother and offspring.

Date:1 Jan 2014 →  31 Dec 2017
Keywords:Prediction of pregnancy outcomes
Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences