Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus in adolescent Hispanic Americans.

Objective: To determine the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in an adolescent Hispanic American population.

Study Design: A retrospective review of 326 women < 20 years of age who identified themselves as Hispanic American was conducted and the incidence of gestational diabetes determined.

Results: Thirty adolescent Hispanic Americans (9.2%) had an abnormal result (> or = 140 mg/dL) after 50-g, one-hour oral glucose challenge testing. These women underwent three-hour oral glucose tolerance tests, and five met the criteria for GDM. The incidence of GDM in this population was 1.5% (5/326) (95% confidence interval, 0.6, 3.7).

Conclusion: The incidence of GDM in adolescent Hispanic Americans is so low that universal screening may not be warranted.