ABSTRACT
Maternal obesity in early pregnancy is an important risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus. Epidemiological studies show that both conditions are prevalent and at an increasing rate worldwide, and they are associated with increased fetomaternal complications. GDM may be defined as any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. This includes women with type 2 diabetes mellitus who present for the first time during pregnancy. Most epidemiological studies base the calculation of body mass index (BMI) on weight and height that is self-reported, which leads to 22" of women being assigned to the wrong BMI category and the diagnosis of obesity being missed in 5". The relationship between maternal BMI and hyperglycemia is poorly characterized because BMI has not been calculated accurately in early pregnancy and the definition of GDM has varied over time and between studies.
