Postpartum Follow-Up
								
									
									
									15% of women with GDM will remain glucose 
									intolerant after delivery
 
								
									
									
									10-15% will develop type 2 diabetes within 2 
									- 5 years
 
								
								
									
									
									◦2 
									hour OGTT six-eight weeks postpartum
 
								
									
									
									◦FBG 
									every year thereafter
 
								 
								
								
								Breastfeeding is associated with a decreased 
								risk of the infant developing obesity and 
								
								
								
								diabetes later in life.
								Breastfeeding increases the woman’s caloric 
								requirements thereby 
								
								
								promoting insulin 
								sensitivity and weight loss.
								 
								
								
								Fasting blood glucose or a random finger stick 
								should be completed before hospital 
								
								
								discharge to 
								rule out diabetes. If the mother is diagnosed 
								with type 2 diabetes, medical 
								
								
								nutrition therapy 
								and pharmacological therapy should be continued 
								to maintain good glycemic 
								
								
								control. All insulins, 
								glyburide, and glypizide may be safely used 
								while breastfeeding. 
								
								
								Metformin, if used, will be 
								excreted in the breast milk.
								
								
								Here are some recommendations: 
								
									
									1.The 
									American Diabetes Association recommends 
									oral glucose tolerance testing should be 
									performed periodically to diagnose an 
									impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes 
									mellitus. Fasting blood glucose is not 
									sensitive to these.
 
								
									
									2.Because 
									many women who develop gestational diabetes 
									are at high risk for developing metabolic 
									syndrome & cardiovascular disease, risk 
									factors should be evaluated at the times 
									glucose metabolism is being evaluated.
 
								
								         
								3.  It is important to evaluate women who do not 
								have clinical characteristics associated with 
								type 2 diabetes. The measurement of serum 
								anti-GAD antibodies is useful to identify 
								patients with possible type 1 diabetes. 
								
								 
								
								Prevention of Type-2 
								Diabetes
								
								
								Diabetes Prevention Programs are especially 
								useful in helping women to change their 
								
								
								
								lifestyles in order to avoid type 2 diabetes 
								later in life. Women should be coached to lose
								
								
								
								weight if necessary, exercise in amounts safe 
								for them, eat healthier, and to employ a 
								
								
								
								medication treatment regimen conducive to 
								regaining control. 
								 
								
								
								Achieve a healthy body weight
								
									
									
									If overweight, lose 5-7% of body weight
 
								
									
									
									Exercise a minimum of 150 minutes per week
 
								
									
									
									Include both aerobic & resistance exercise
 
								
								
								Eat a healthier diet
								
									
									
									Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, 
									high-fiber carbohydrate, low-fat meats & 
									dairy products, & heart healthy fats
 
								
								
								Treatment with metformin or pioglitazone
								 
								
								
								We hope you have gained some useful knowledge 
								about gestational diabetes from this 
								
								
								presentation, as well as some tips and tricks 
								that may prove useful when working with patients
								
								
								
								of this type. 
								 
								
								If you would like continuing 
								education credit for taking this course, please 
								click on the link 
								
								below to fill out the course 
								evaluation and take the post-test.
								 
								
								Take the 
								post-test