criteria recommended by the GEDE in 200613 and confirmed
in 2015,1 and have not implemented the recommendations
of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy
Study Group.14 The survey shows a consistent use of GEDE
recommendations for the diagnosis of GD, with no differences
in criteria between the different centers. This is
important, because it avoids significant differences in prevalence
depending on the area, which may have an impact on
maternal and fetal outcomes, as seen in other countries.15
The median GD prevalence at the centers that reported
monitoring of the whole population was 8.2%, although 25%
of the centers did not reach 6.6%. These fluctuations may be
attributed to population differences, defects in detection,
or the loss of cases in the population area. These data agree
with those reported by other European centers16 and a multicenter
Spanish study.17 Insulin therapy was administered
to 28% of patients, with a very wide percentile distribution
between the centers. The survey shows differences
in the severity of metabolic impairment between the centers,
and probably in standard clinical practice also. This
latter possibility is supported by the greater frequency of
insulin therapy in models in which nursing was involved
in disease monitoring, showing once again the barrier that
insulin therapy represents for pregnant women in everyday
life,18 and the significance of the role of specialized diabetes
education for achieving adequate control.19 A striking finding
in this study was that, in 20% of the centers, metabolic
monitoring was performed by a physician alone, with no
support from the nursing staff. This contrasts with the recommendations
in the main guidelines,6---9 based on the fact
that such an approach is not associated with better maternal
and fetal outcomes.20
Post-partum reassessment was performed with almost
the same frequency using OGTT (75 g) alone or combining
OGTT and HbA1c measurement, in contrast to recommendations
by the GEDE1 and most guidelines,7---9 which
advise the use of OGTT with 75 g for reclassification. The
fact that post-partum reclassification and monitoring were
mostly performed at hospitals rather than primary care, as
recommended,1,21 appears to suggest both a lack of coordination
and a lack of joint action protocols between care
levels, with a resultant misuse of resources. This may also
be explained by the traditionally insufficient involvement of
primary care teams in pregnancy control.22 Since a diagnosis
of GD identifies a group of women at a high risk of DM requiring
preventive actions, we think that action protocols are
needed to coordinate post-partum monitoring with primary
care.