Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a non-infectious endocrine disease defined as carbohydrate intolerance in the absence of Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus (DM), which occurs in the second or third trimester of pregnancy and disappears after pregnancy. GDM is seen in 7% of pregnancies; the prevalence in different races varies between 1-14%. World Health Organization; It recommends that GDM be classified as DM or GDM in accordance with the criteria determined at the time it is first determined, regardless of the trimester of pregnancy, and that GDM screenings should be performed as a risk factor-based screening regardless of routine. Early identification of risk factors associated with GDM will prevent the occurrence of complications or provide a chance to intervene early in the complications that may occur. In this article, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors of gestational diabetes mellitus and the roles of midwives in determining the risk are discussed in the light of the literature.