[Gestational diabetes in the light of current literature].

This paper presents current data on the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus, classification and new diagnostic methods. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is defined as carbohydrate intolerance first detected during pregnancy. It is the most common metabolic disorder of pregnant women. The frequency of its occurrence depends on inter alia body weight, belonging to a particular ethnic group and diagnostic methods. GDM reveals usually between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. The development of diabetes in pregnancy poses a threat to both the mother and the fetus. It is associated with an increased incidence of birth defects in newborns, impaired intrauterine fetal growth, higher incidence of premature births and greater percentage of the intrauterine fetus death. Amongst women complicated by gestational diabetes arterial hypertension more often unfolds. In the development of gestational diabetes mellitus important role apart from maternal and fetal hyperinsulinemia play: antagonistic to insulin placental hormones, TNFα, placental pro-inflammatory cytokines, resistin, leptin ghrelin.