Life-course management of gestational diabetes mellitus: A narrative review

Table 6 Summary of clinical recommendations for gestational diabetes mellitus management across the care continuum

Domain	Clinical recommendation
Prenatal care	Integrate structured lifestyle guidance into routine visits
Screening	Employ early risk-based screening using BMI, age, ethnicity, and history
Postpartum	Ensure OGTT at 6-12 weeks and initiate annual T2DM risk surveillance
Education	Improve cultural and psychosocial sensitivity in patient communication
Health systems	Standardize GDM diagnosis globally; expand access and continuity of care

This framework synthesizes key action points for optimizing gestational diabetes mellitus management at every stage—from early detection to postnatal transition—anchored in prevention, personalization, and system-wide integration. GDM: Gestational diabetes mellitus; OGTT: Oral glucose tolerance test; T2DM: Type 2 diabetes mellitus.