Gestational diabetes: is a higher cesarean section rate inevitable?
OBJECTIVE
To determine the rate of and indication for cesarean section for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared with glucose-tolerant women.


METHODS
From a consecutive series of women with GDM seen over a 9-year period for medical management, women who had had a cesarean section were identified and the reason for the section determined from a review of the medical record. A control group of women who had had a section were obtained from an existing database of glucose-tolerant women.


RESULTS
The section rate for women with GDM was higher at 19.8% than the 15.6% for glucose-tolerant women. However, after adjustment for age and parity, no significant differences were found. There were also no differences found for the primary indication for section.


CONCLUSIONS
In our health area of New South Wales, Australia, women with GDM do not have a higher section rate compared with glucose-tolerant women. Concerns about the diagnosis of GDM leading to an increased rate of obstetric intervention should not be generalized.
Moses
R G
RG
Illawarra Area Health Service, Wollongong, Australia. robert_moses@uow.edu.au
Knights
S J
SJ
Lucas
E M
EM
Moses
M
M
Russell
K G
KG
Coleman
K J
KJ
Davis
W S
WS
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies