PROGNOSIS OF WOMEN WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES IN THE UK

A study to assess the glucose tolerance of South Asian and white women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) found that GDM represents a significant risk factor for future DM development regardless of ethnicity. In a retrospective follow-up of 178 women in Leicester (115 South Asian and 63 white) diagnosed with GDM between 1995 and 2001, glucose tolerance was reassessed a mean of 4.38 years after pregnancy. Diabetes developed in 36.9%, affecting more women of South Asian extraction (48.6%) than white (25.0%) women. Women who developed diabetes were older at follow-up, weighed more, were more hyperglycaemic, and were more likely to need insulin during pregnancy. The study showed that glycated haemoglobin values at GDM diagnosis have worth in predicting future diabetes mellitus. (

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CASE ASCERTAINMENT IN CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS IN BANGLADESH

Local volunteers recruited to ascertain severely visually impaired and blind children provided a more representative population sample than traditional methods of examining children in special education and community based rehabilitation programmes. Approximately 800 volunteers, who live and/or work in their local community, were trained to act as key informants (KIs). A total of 1935 children with severe visual impairment (SVI) …