4 Mar 2026 • Gestational diabetes may leave detectable clues far earlier in pregnancy than current screening protocols assume. A study tracking 270 pregnant women from the first trimester through mid-pregnancy found that subtle elevations in glucose levels, still within the “normal” range, can signal who is most likely to develop gestational diabetes months later.

Researchers observed that women who eventually developed GDM already had higher two-hour glucose levels and HbA1c at just 8–12 weeks of gestation, well before the routine screening window at 24–28 weeks. In fact, a two-hour post-challenge glucose level of ≥112 mg/dL and HbA1c ≥5.4% in early pregnancy significantly predicted later GDM.

The clinical implications were visible at birth as well: infants born to mothers who developed GDM weighed significantly more than those born to mothers who maintained normal glucose tolerance. Taken together, the findings suggest that gestational diabetes risk may begin to reveal itself during the first trimester.

Source: IJMR | Read full story