Dunne, Fidelma P

Introduction Selective reporting bias, inconsistency in the chosen outcomes between trials and irrelevance of the chosen outcomes for women, limit the efficiency and value of research for prevention and treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). One way to address these challenges is to develop core outcome sets (COSs). Methods and analysis The aim of this manuscript is to present a protocol for a study to develop COSs for GDM prevention and treatment. This is a three-phase project consisting of (1) a systematic review of the literature to create two lists of outcomes that have been reported in trials and systematic reviews of trials of interventions for the prevention and treatment of GDM, (2) a three-round, web-based e-Delphi survey with key stakeholders to prioritise these outcomes and (3) a consensus meeting to resolve any remaining disagreements and to agree on two COSs. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval to conduct this study was obtained from the ethics committee at Galway University Hospitals on 13 December 2018 (Reference: C.A.2078). We will disseminate our research findings through peer-reviewed, open access publications and present at international conferences to reach a wide range of knowledge users.

AbstractBackgroundGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is highly prevalent and has both short- and long-term implications for mother and infant.Sources of dataLiterature search using PubMed with keywords ‘Gestational diabetes’ and ‘diabetes in pregnancy’ together with published papers known to the authors.Areas of agreementThe cornerstone of management is medical nutrition therapy with regular self-monitoring of capillary blood glucose levels and intensification of therapy if glycaemic goals are not achieved. Post-partum, annual assessment for type 2 diabetes is recommended.Areas of controversyDiagnostic criteria and new biomarkers for GDM and the clinical and economic benefits of treating women with milder levels of glucose intolerance during pregnancy.Growing pointsWomen with GDM are a heterogeneous group with varying degrees of insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction.Areas timely for developing researchDevelopment of alternative diagnostic markers and application of novel technologies for GDM management.