The Ministry of Health has released revised guidelines strengthening its stand on universal screening of all pregnant women for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

According to the report titled “Diagnosis and Management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus” released recently, if the first prenatal test was found negative, a second test should be done at 24-28 weeks of gestation.

Undiagnosed or inadequately treated GDM can lead to significant maternal and foetal complications. Moreover, women with GDM and their children are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

The new guidelines provide for creating a cadre of healthcare providers for medical nutritional threrapy and inclusion of oral drugs like metformin for control of sugar.

According to the guidelines, States are free to choose the number of districts where the programme will be implemented initially, however all districts should be be covered in a phased manner.