title: Follow-up of postpartum women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The incidence of type 2 diabetes in postpartum women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is high, and blood glucose screening for postpartum women is recommended. Follow-up procedures for women with GDM in the postnatal period need to be improved. We investigated the incidence of GDM and the follow-up of women with GDM in Tianjin, China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postpartum women who delivered at Tianjin Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2010 were interviewed by telephone about their blood glucose screening. Thirty obstetricians were interviewed to evaluate awareness about the importance of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence rate of GDM increased from 6.9% in 2008, to 8.8% in 2009, and 9.9% in 2010. A total of 2152 women were interviewed, including 282 women (13.1%) screened for blood glucose. The top three reasons for failed blood glucose screening included: not being informed by their physicians, believing that GDM would disappear after delivery, and being occupied with the baby. Methods for GDM screening included testing of random blood glucose levels, fasting blood glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance, and glycosylated hemoglobin. Of the 30 obstetricians interviewed, 25 were aware of the need for blood glucose screening for women with GDM after delivery, but only 15 of them had informed their patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In China, most women with GDM are not screened for type 2 diabetes after delivery. Standard clinical procedures that will enable and encourage all women to return for glucose screening following GDM are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin Center Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin 300100, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin Center Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin 300100, China. Electronic address: chenxu2665@126.com.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin Center Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin 300100, China.
authors.forename: Hongyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin Center Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin 300100, China.
authors.forename: Zhikun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Tianjin Center Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tianjin 300100, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: Follow-up; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Glucose screening; Postpartum