Tahira Khalid, Fehmida Shaheen, Najma Javed.
Awareness regarding gestational diabetes mellitus among pregnant women at tertiary care hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Pak J Med Res Jan ;54(3):87-9.

Objective: To assess awareness about gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant cases attending antenatal clinic at Holy Family hospital. Study type, settings and duration: Cross sectional study, at antenatal clinic gynae & obstetric department unit II, Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, for two months (January-February 2014). Subjects and Methods: Using convenient sampling, all consecutive pregnant cases visiting antenatal clinics were enrolled and interviewed by trained medical officers. A pretested proforma was used to record the information which included information under three heads i.e. demography, knowledge about diabetes, gestational diabetes and its management. The data was analyzed as frequencies and percentages using SPSS 17 version. Results: A total of 500 pregnant cases were interviewed, of whom 80% were from urban areas, 32.8% were primi-gravida and 14% were illiterate, 436 (87.2%) knew about the disease however only 170 (30%) could tell the normal blood sugar level. Majority (77.2%) of the patients knew that diabetes is inherited. Regarding Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), 302 (60.4%) knew that it develops during pregnancy and 67% considered it as a high risk condition. Almost 49% knew that un- controlled diabetes could cause fetal and maternal complications. Majority 332 (66%) was of opinion that GDM could lead to diabetes in future while 302 (60.4%) thought that it will persist after pregnancy. About treatment, 246 (49.2%) knew about insulin therapy, whereas only 160 (32%) knew the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia. Exercise and diet were considered important for the control and prevention of diabetes by 440 (88%) and 404 (80.8%) thought that obesity had a definitive relation in development of diabetes. Conclusion: Pregnant cases had good knowledge about gestational diabetes, its associated risks, progress of disease, confounding factors and its prevention. However knowledge about disease specific maternal and fetal morbidities was deficient.

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