Pre-prepregnancy body mass index and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus

Introduction/Objective. Not only do pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity increase the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes but they also lead to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity in the Republic of Srpska and to investigate its association with hyperglycemia and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out during the period from February to October 2012 among 555 pregnant women in gestational period from 24 to 28 weeks. The criterion for exclusion from the sample was previously diagnosed type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Results. Before pregnancy, 20.39% of participants had increased body mass index, while 4.04 % [95% confidence interval (CI); 2.62–6.13] were obese. Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed in 10.91% (95% CI, 8.44–13.98) of them. The increase in body mass index by 1 increased the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus by 1.09 times [odds ratio (OR) = 1.09; 95% CI; 1.02–1.16]. Pregnant women who were overweight had a 4.88 times greater risk (OR = 4.88; 95% CI, 1.23–29.41) of developing gestational diabetes. Conclusion. Every fifth pregnant woman in this study was overweight or obese before pregnancy. The increase in body mass index by 1 increased the risk of gestational diabetes by 1.09 times (OR = 1.09; 95% CI; 1.02–1.16). Counselling is necessary for overweight and obese women planning pregnancy.