ASSOCIATION OF GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS WITH MATERNAL OBESITY AND PREECLAMPSIA: HOSPITAL-BASED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with maternal obesity and Preeclampsia in antenatal patients attending Pakistan Railway General hospital (PRGH) Rawalpindi, Pakistan. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in PRGH Rawalpindi, Pakistan from February-April 2015. By using convenient sampling technique, 60 pregnant women, aged 18-38 years with gestational age more than 20 weeks were included. Thirty diagnosed GDM women were taken in one group while 30 non-GDM women in other according to the diagnostic criteria of 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test recommended by American diabetes association. Data was collected in a self-designed structured questionnaire including demographics, routine examination of urine samples while body weights were measured in kilograms and heights in centimeters for determination of obesity according to body mass index (BMI) classification that for normal is (18.5-24.9), over-weight (25-29.9) and obese (>= 30). RESULTS: In group of women with GDM, 5 (16.6%) had normal weight, 16 (53.3%) were found to be overweight while 9 (30%) were obese and 0 (0%) were under-weight according to BMI table. In the second group of non-GDM, 18 women (60%) had a normal weight while 6 (20%) were overweight and 6 (20%) were obese. Hence there were more over-weight patients with gestational diabetes with a significant association (p<0.05). On the other hand, 5 (16.66%) GDM women and 3(10%) non-GDM women had preeclampsia (p >0.05). CONCLUSION: A significant association of GDM with maternal obesity was observed in our population whereas preeclampsia with GDM had no significant association.