Hyperglycaemia in Pregnancy: Detection, Management and Postnatal Care in Rural Communities

Dear Colleagues,

We are organising a Special Issue on "Hyperglycaemia in Pregnancy: Detection, Management and Postnatal Care in Rural Communities" in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Increasing maternal glycaemia in pregnancy is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes as well as long-term disordered maternal glucose metabolism and worsening childhood glucose metabolism. Due to the high prevalence of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy and potential for improved perinatal outcome, the International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) recommends that all pregnant women without pre-existing diabetes be screened for hyperglycaemia by 75 g Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).  In 2010, the IADPSG derived new OGTT diagnostic cut-points for gestational diabetes (GDM). The use of specific cut-points assumes that the result is dichotomous, despite the fact that these cut-points were predominantly based on evidence of a continuous linear association between mild maternal hyperglycaemia and adverse perinatal outcomes from the Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) study. Implementation of new screening guidelines can be challenging in resource-poor environments and can lead to unintended consquences. The 2015 International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) guidelines for GDM recommend both optimal, evidence-based standards for testing, diagnosis, management and postnatal care, as well as pragmatic alternatives, acknowledging limitations in low-resourced countries and regions. This Special Issue will explore the on-the-ground realities of screening and managing hyperglycaemia in pregnancy and the impact on outcomes for women living in regional, rural and remote communities and their health services. The issue is open to any topic related to hyperglycaemia in pregnancy for women living in regional, rural and remote communities. The listed keywords suggest just a few of the many possibilities.

Dr. Julia Marley
Ms. Emma Jamieson
Dr. Andrew Kirke
Guest Editors

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