Gestational weight gain among nutritionally treated GDM patients

Objective: We aimed to evaluate pregnancy outcome in diet-treated gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines concerning gestational weight gain (GWG).Design and patients: This was a retrospective cohort study, limited to women with singleton pregnancies and diet-treated GDM. Women with preexisting diabetes or women with pharmaceutical treatment were excluded. We compared patients with adequate GWG with patients with excess GWG according to the 2009 IOM guidelines.Results: Overall, 142 women were evaluated, of which 99 (69.7%) had adequate GWG and 43 (30.3%) had excess GWG. All demonstrated good glycemic control. Patients in the excess GWG group had higher mean pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI). No other obstetrical or perinatal statistically significant differences were demonstrated, although there was a trend for higher birth weight percentile and higher rate of respiratory distress among the excess GWG group.Conclusions: Higher pre-pregnancy BMI is a risk factor for failing to comply with the 2009 IOM GWG guidelines. However, it seems that in pregnancies complicated by diet-treated GDM, GWG is not a reliable marker for adverse pregnancy outcome if glycemic control is adequate.