Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gestational diabetes in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, health services have been forced to implement strategies aimed at mitigating its negative effects.1, 2 Healthcare activity is being affected by the measures introduced to try to contain the pandemic. Telemedicine has been one of the most widely used tools.3, 4 While a large number of disorders in our speciality have been managed electronically, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has continued to be treated in person in many cases, taking advantage of the patients’ obstetrics check-ups. It is unknown whether pregnant women are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.5

GDM is the metabolic disorder most commonly associated with pregnancy, affecting approximately 12% of pregnant women.6, 7 Diabetic patients are more susceptible to developing severe forms of SARS-CoV-2 infection,8 which is why various scientific societies have developed temporary alternatives for the diagnosis and monitoring of gestational hyperglycaemia during the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to minimise the risk of infection.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Our hypothesis is that the control of patients with GDM has worsened during the pandemic, not only due to the pressure of care borne by the public health service and the consequent changes in routine clinical practice, but also due to the decrease in physical activity, changes in eating habits and the stress to which pregnant women have been subjected.16, 17

The aim of our study was to determine whether or not the COVID-19 pandemic increased the risk of having “large for gestational age” (LGE) newborns, as an indicator of poor control of patients with GDM treated in the public health service of Castilla-La Mancha Autonomous Region (Spain) and, as secondary endpoints, maternal and neonatal morbidity rates.

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