[Incidence of gestational diabetes in pregnant women at diabetic risk in Santiago, Chile].

A study conducted from 1982 to 1984 in Santiago, Chile, examined the frequency of gestational diabetes in 580 pregnant women at high risk for diabetes and 100 controls receiving prenatal checkups at a primary care center in the western area of the city. The purpose of the study was to establish recommendations for early detection in developing countries. The risk factors for the disease were studied and their frequency and distribution were calculated in 911 pregnant women in the general population of the area. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes was based on the results of the oral glucose tolerance test. The disease was diagnosed in 13.8% of the pregnant women with risk factors for diabetes and in 1% of the controls. Three risk factors were statistically significant: chronological age (OR = 1.14), nutritional status (OR = 1.01), and basal blood glucose level (OR, 25-36 years = 4.03; OR, greater than 36 years = 4.84). The prevalence of gestational diabetes was 4.27%. It was concluded that the frequency of gestational diabetes is significantly higher in pregnant women at risk for diabetes than in those not at risk. In developing countries it is recommended that testing for the disease be limited to pregnant women over 25 years of age, those who are obese, and those with a fasting blood glucose level above 4.4 mmol/l.