Selective Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract
The usual approach to detecting gestational diabetes mellitus is to screen all pregnant women by measuring their plasma glucose after a 50-g oral glucose load at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation. Women are referred for an oral glucose-tolerance test if the plasma glucose concentration one hour later is >140 mg per deciliter (7.8 mmol per liter). We hypothesized that the efficiency of screening could be enhanced by considering women's risks of gestational diabetes on the basis of their clinical characteristics.