The German Gestational Diabetes Study (PREG): Rationale, Methodology and Design

Since the introduction of the new International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in 2012, diagnosis and treatment of GDM has improved. But even well-treated GDM might still have impact on long-term health of the mother and her offspring, though, this relation has not been conclusively studied yet. The multicenter PREG study is designed to metabolically and phenotypically characterize women with a 75 g five-point oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during and repeatedly after pregnancy. The offspring of the study participants are followed up until adulthood with developmental tests and metabolic and epigenetic phenotyping in the PREG offspring study. By in-depth phenotyping of the mother and her offspring, we aim to elucidate the relationship of maternal hyperglycemia during pregnancy and adequate treatment and its impact on the long-term health for both.