https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aogs.15098
Check out our new study on the most commonly declined routine test in pregnancy – gestational diabetes screening!
We looked at birth outcomes in British Columbia, Canada following nonadherence to screening for gestational diabetes (GDM).
➡️ Gestational diabetes screening is routinely recommended in pregnancy, but some people experience side effects (nausea, fainting) and may choose to decline the test, especially if they are at low risk.
➡️ If high blood sugar in pregnancy (GDM) is not treated, it can lead to a baby growing “too big” so we thought we might find more big babies in those who did not screen.
➡️We included pregnant folks who had midwifery care and outcomes for people with no screening and who screened with an “alternate” test.
What did we find?
📣 Not screening for GDM did NOT increase risks of “big babies” but did increase risks for stillbirth and having a smaller than expected baby, particularly for those who had risk factors for diabetes.
Take-home:
📣 This can be used to inform shared-decision making conversations during pregnancy about completing GDM screening – particularly in hashtag#midwifery care settings
📣 Our findings strongly support recommending GDM screening for those with pre-pregnancy GDM risk factors
📣 Care providers should also be aware to screen for decreased fetal movement or low fetal growth among those who choose non-screening
Thanks to my wonderful co-author team- UBC Midwifery student Kelly Pickerill, UBC Midwifery Associate Professor Luba Butska, RM and Clinical Professor Michelle Turner, RM, UBC Professor Patricia Janssen, Associate Professor Jennifer Hutcheon and Assistant Professor Laura Schummers.
