Background: Over the last decades, there has been a substantial increase in the incidence of higher-order multiple gestations. Twin pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The literature on GDM rates in triplet pregnancies is scarce.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess the prevalence of GDM in women with a triplet pregnancy. GDM was defined through an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A meta-analysis of GDM prevalence was also carried out.
Results: A cohort of 60 women was included in the analysis. Of these, 19 (31.7%) were diagnosed with GDM. There were no differences in pregnancy outcomes between women with and without GDM. In the meta-analysis of 12 studies, which used a sound GDM definition, an estimated pooled prevalence of 12.4% (95% confidence interval: 6.9%-19.1%) was found. In a leave-one-out sensitivity analysis, the estimated GDM prevalence ranged from 10.7% to 14.1%.
Conclusion: The rate of GDM seems increased in women with triplets compared to singleton pregnancies. However, GDM did not impact short-term pregnancy outcomes.
Keywords: gestational diabetes; multiple gestation; oral glucose tolerance test; pregnancy outcome; triplets.