One in six live births (21 million per year) is affected by hyperglycaemia during pregnancy (1). Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy can mean either diabetes that existed before pregnancy, diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy, or gestational diabetes – a milder form of elevated glucose (blood sugar) levels that appears during pregnancy, though the distinction between the types is blurred due to the high burden of undiagnosed pre-existing diabetes. The management of hyperglycaemia, or elevated glucose levels, in pregnancy differs significantly from its management outside of pregnancy. Hyperglycaemia during pregnancy has effects on the fetus and birth process. Pregnancy-related complications of hyperglycaemia, including GDM, include pre-eclampsia/hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, stillbirth, macrosomia, neonatal hypoglycaemia and seizures, and birth injury. Women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (1) and long-term complications of diabetes can include cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy (2).
The World Health Organization (WHO) 2013 guideline on Diagnostic criteria and classification of hyperglycaemia first detected in pregnancy focused on the diagnostic criteria and classification of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, but did not provide recommendations on diabetes management. The 2016 antenatal care guidelines identified this as a priority research area, particularly in lower-middle-income countries. Given that the disease burden of diabetes is global, with a majority of cases in low- and middle-income countries, guidelines applicable to these settings are needed. With a view towards promoting the best-known clinical practices in labour and childbirth, and improving maternal and newborn outcomes worldwide, WHO will review the evidence for recommendations related to monitoring and management of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. The development of this guideline has been prioritized as part of the work to address non-communicable diseases in pregnancy.
A Guideline Development Group (GDG) meeting will be held 12–15 May 2025 to review the evidence base on these recommendations. In keeping with the requirements of the WHO Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics Office, we are posting online short biographies of the GDG members. The listed candidates have also submitted a declaration of interest form stating any conflict of interests. WHO has applied its internal processes to ensure that the performance of the above tasks by members of this group will be transparent and without any significant conflict of interests (academic, financial or other) that could affect the credibility of the guideline.
Nevertheless, WHO invites the public to review the experts and stakeholders involved and provide feedback regarding any member deemed to have a significant conflict of interest with respect to the terms of reference for this group. Comments and feedback should be cordial and constructive, and sent to srhmph@who.int.
This WHO normative meeting is by invitation only.
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The GDG members are participating in the meeting on their individual capacity. Affiliations are presented only as a reference. The participation of experts in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by WHO nor does it create a binding relationship between the experts and WHO. The biographies have been provided by the experts themselves and are the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the information provided. In accordance with WHO conflict of interest assessment policy, expert’s biographies are published for transparency purposes. Comments and perceptions are brought to the knowledge of WHO through the public notice and comment process.
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- Gestational Diabetes. International Diabetes Federation; 2022: https://idf.org/about-diabetes/types-of-diabetes/gestational-diabetes
- Harding JL, Pavkov ME, Magliano DJ, Shaw JE, Gregg EW. Global trends in diabetes complications: a review of current evidence. Diabetologia. 2019;62(1):3-16. doi: 10.1007/s00125-018-4711-2.