Two thirds of pregnant women could be going undiagnosed with a serious medical condition due to faulty screening, according to research.
A study found that widely used tests for gestational diabetes – which causes high blood sugar and usually occurs in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy – only correctly identify 29 per cent of cases.
If left untreated, the condition can cause pregnancy complications for both mother and baby – including an increased risk of both developing type II diabetes, babies growing larger than usual and premature birth.
Although rare, it can also cause babies to be stillborn.
As a result, the NHS advises that women at risk of gestational diabetes be given a screening test called an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in the third and forth month of pregnancy.
A study found that widely used tests for gestational diabetes only correctly identify 29 per cent of cases. (Stock photo)
In the UK, as many as half of all obstetrics clinics rely on this casual test to first screen patients. (Stock photo)
Due to the length of time and preparation involved in the test – which requires the mother to fast for ten hours and take two separate blood tests – the study found that a large fraction of healthcare facilities were first using the standard finger-prick blood glucose test.
Only if women tested positive on this test would they be asked to undergo the more rigorous and time consuming OGTT screening.
In the UK, as many as half of all obstetrics clinics rely on this casual test to first screen patients.
Researchers found that a high number of gestational diabetes cases were being missed during this two-tiered process, however.
Examining 99 women who were eventually diagnosed with the condition, they discovered that less than a third were correctly identified as having high blood sugar by the simpler test. The other two thirds were incorrectly given a false negative and not offered further screening.
Study author, obstetrician Kenji Tanimura, from Kobe University in Japan said he hopes this will encourage use of the more accurate glucose screening methods: ‘The goal is to protect more mothers and babies from gestational and childbirth issues caused by this form of diabetes.’
