Vallejo-Patiño et al. (2026)
reduzca fricciones logísticas del tamizaje, asegure una transición efectiva a atención primaria y
mantenga seguimiento hasta al menos 3 años posparto, aprovechando la infraestructura
materno-infantil y las tecnologías móviles disponibles en la región.
Palabras claves: diabetes gestacional; tamizaje posparto; diabetes tipo 2; prevención; atención
primaria; Latinoamérica.
Abstract
Women with prior gestational diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and
cardiovascular disease in the years after delivery, making the postpartum period a critical window
for metabolic screening and cardiometabolic prevention. This critical review synthesizes evidence
published between 2015 and 2025 on interventions designed to increase completion of the 75 g
oral glucose tolerance test postpartum and to strengthen continuity of follow-up care. Clinical
studies, meta-analyses, and relevant guidelines were included, with emphasis on strategies
feasible in real-world Latin American settings. Overall, postpartum screening rates remain low
(
<50%) and are driven by multilevel barriers: patient-level factors (time constraints, competing
newborn-care demands, low risk perception, and logistical challenges of a 2-hour test), provider-
level factors (insufficient recommendation, education, or organized follow-up), and system-level
gaps (fragmented care transitions and poor longitudinal continuity). Evidence indicates that
antenatal education—particularly group-based formats—is among the most effective approaches
to improve screening uptake, followed by individualized education. Telephone reminders tend to
outperform isolated SMS reminders, and access-facilitating approaches (advance scheduling,
integration of obstetric care with primary care or endocrinology) improve both screening
completion and early detection of prediabetes. Digital health interventions (tailored messaging,
smartphone apps) are feasible and acceptable, but their impact is often modest when
implemented as standalone measures. Overall, multicomponent strategies combining education,
reminders, and care navigation/coordination achieve the most sustained improvements in
screening and prevention. The review concludes that an integrated, scalable model is needed—
one that starts education during pregnancy, reduces logistical friction around screening, ensures
effective transition to primary care, and maintains follow-up for at least 3 years postpartum—
leveraging existing maternal-child health infrastructure and widely available mobile technology
across the region.
Keywords: gestational diabetes; postpartum screening; type 2 diabetes; prevention; primary
care; Latin America.
factores como mayores edades
1. Introducción
maternas y prevalencia de obesidad.
Se estima que aproximadamente
La diabetes gestacional (DG) se
define como cualquier grado de
hiperglucemia con inicio o primera
detección durante el embarazo
14% de los embarazos globales
cursan con DG, lo que en 2021
representó cerca de 16.9 millones de
nacimientos afectados (5). Además
de las complicaciones perinatales
inmediatas asociadas (p. ej.,
macrosomía, preeclampsia, parto
por cesárea), la DG conlleva
importantes implicaciones a largo
(generalmente en el segundo o
tercer trimestre) y excluye diabetes
preexistente (5,12). Es una de las
complicaciones obstétricas más
comunes, con una prevalencia
creciente a nivel mundial atribuida a
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