Abstracto

Getting mothers with gestational diabetes to return for postpartum testing: what works and what does not

Heather D Clark, Erin Keely

The diagnosis of gestational diabetes is important for two reasons: to prevent adverse neonatal outcomes and identify women who are at high risk for developing diabetes in the future. The recommended screening test for diabetes postpartum in women with previous gestational diabetes is an oral glucose tolerance test. Screening rates postpartum using the recommended screening test remains disappointingly low in routine clinical practice. Simple reminders have been shown to increase screening rates but still result in a large proportion of women not being screened. This review will assess the rationale for screening postpartum and the barriers that have led to low screening rates.