Update on gestational diabetes and adverse pregnancy outcomes

To explore the recent literature concerning the effect of gestational diabetes (GDM) on adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO).Literature search on PubMed, Medline and British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology was conducted using keywords. Search fields were filtered down to include articles from 2019 onwards. GDM is common during pregnancy and is on the rise because of increasing in obesity rates. GDM tended to show an increased risk of APO compared with non-GDM. Treatment of these pregnancies tended to improve these outcomes, particularly for LGA and macrosomia. Additional factors such as prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) were shown to influence risk. More studies are needed to determine the true effect on postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and induction of labour (IOL).The review agrees with the findings from previous studies and adds to the current literature. Early intervention to manage glycaemic control and GWG may help improve these outcomes. Public health strategies that tackle obesity rates will help to reduce prepregnancy BMI and, therefore, rates of GDM.