This study was performed to examine the relationship between maternal age and serum
glucose levels during pregnancy, and to determine if
glucose screening could be eliminated in very young women without significantly compromising the detection rate of
gestational diabetes mellitus. All women between the 24th and 28th wk of gestation who were followed in a university-affiliated prenatal clinic had a screening
glucose level drawn 1 h after ingesting 50 g
glucose. Those who had a 1-h serum
glucose of greater than 150 mg/dl subsequently underwent a 3-h
glucose tolerance test. There was a progressive increase in screening serum
glucose levels and a significantly higher incidence of diabetes with increasing maternal age. Only 4% of women less than 20 yr had a positive screen and 8% of these had
gestational diabetes. If screening had not been done in those less than 20 yr, only 5% (2/36) of women with
gestational diabetes would not have been detected.