When should glucose screening and glucose tolerance be done?

Both Down syndrome screening and glucose tolerance testing need to be done on an empty stomach, and the best time to do so is in the morning to ensure the accuracy of the test results. Down syndrome screening is a method of roughly checking blood sugar concentration, while glucose tolerance test requires four blood draws. For the specific examination method, it is recommended that you should follow the doctor's advice and be prepared to fast the first time.

The sugar screen is a coarse screen, which means that if you drink 50g of glucose on an empty stomach, the blood sugar concentration in a normal person's blood should be between 3-6.1mmol one hour later. If you are pregnant and your glucose tolerance is above 7.5, you should do a glucose tolerance test. Typically, a glucose tolerance test involves four blood draws, one of which is done while fasting. After drinking 75g (or 100g) of glucose, measure the blood sugar concentration one hour, two hours and three hours later. If two of these four times are abnormal, then it is gestational diabetes. At present, there is no effective treatment for Down syndrome. Only by conducting early screening, timely detection of problems and termination of pregnancy can the goal of eugenics be achieved. When should the glucose screening and glucose tolerance test be done?

1. Pregnant women with high risk factors for diabetes

Pregnant women with a family history of diabetes, a body mass index greater than 24, a history of hypertension, a history of gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy, or a macrosomia should undergo a glucose screening test around 20 weeks of pregnancy, and the screening can be repeated once at 30-32 weeks of pregnancy.

2. Healthy pregnant women

A glucose screening test should be performed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. Because this period is the period of rapid fetal growth, the placenta secretion function of pregnant women becomes more and more vigorous, and various factors in the body that cause diabetes develop to the most obvious, so it is not easy to miss the diagnosis. On the other hand, if the pregnant woman is found to have sugar metabolism problems at this time, early treatment can be given to minimize possible harm to the mother and baby.

Pregnant women should undergo "sugar screening" at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. There are several things to note about sugar screening: reduce the intake of starch and sugar two weeks before the test; the day before sugar screening or glucose tolerance, it is best to eat light vegetarian food and eat less rice. Do not eat after 8 pm the night before the sugar screening and drink less water. It is best for pregnant women to prepare some food and eat it after the sugar screening to avoid prolonged hunger and causing physical discomfort.