EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVALENCE OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly all over the world. Women of childbearing age are also affected by obesity and sedentary lifestyle, which are the main causes of this increase. In recent years, epidemiological studies in developed countries have revealed a similar increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus as seen at type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is very difficult to determine a global prevalence for gestational diabetes mellitus. The heterogeneous nature of the studies, the diversity of diagnostic criteria, and the differences in screening methods reveal this difficulty. Although there are regional differences and even different prevalence in different studies conducted in the same country, according to the 2017 IDF data, it is possible to mention a prevalence of 14% of gestational diabetes mellitus in the world. Being aware of this increasing situation and identifying risk factors can be a step to avoid this public health problem. © 2020 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.