Usha Thachappilly1 , Vijayalakshmy R. S.2 , Sreedevi N. S.3 , Vijayalakshmy Moorkkattukara Thekkoot4 , Shajee Sivasankaran Nair5 , Sajith Vilambil6 , Sajeevan Kundila Chandran7
BACKGROUND Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a global public health concern with potential implications for the health of a mother and her offspring. Several maternal factors are strongly related to GDM. This study aims at analysing maternal factors associated to GDM. METHODS This comparative study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Maternal and Child Health, Medical College, Calicut. A total of 200 subjects were included in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups comprising 150 normal pregnant women and 50 pregnant women who were diagnosed to have GDM. Age, gravida, parity, detailed obstetric history, and history of any treatment were recorded. Height and weight were recorded. BMI was calculated using the formula, Weight in Kg/Height in m2 . Blood pressure too was recorded. All statistical data were analysed using SPSS software version 16. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Qualitative data was expressed as percentage. Independent t test was used for comparing quantitative data between the two groups. Analysis was done to compare relation of age, BMI, gravida and blood pressure in GDM and normal pregnancy. RESULTS The mean age in women with GDM was found to be 26.24 years and that in controls was 23.77 years; the difference was statistically significant. The mean value of Body Mass Index of women with GDM was 26.98 Kg/m2 and that in normal pregnant women was 23.42 Kg/m2 ; the difference was highly significant. No significant relation was observed between gravida and occurrence of GDM. The mean systolic blood pressure in women with GDM was 122.04 mm of Hg and that in pregnant controls was 113.17 mm of Hg (p value < 0.01, significant). The mean diastolic blood pressure in women with GDM was 79.76 mm of Hg and that in pregnant controls was 73.13 mm of Hg with a significant p value of <0.01. CONCLUSIONS GDM women were found to be overweight in comparison with the control group. Status of gravid was found to have no significant relation with GDM. The blood pressure was significantly higher in GDM even though it was within the normal range.
