The Belgian Diabetes in Pregnancy Follow-Up Study (BEDIP-FUS): A Multi-Centric Prospective Cohort Study on the Long-Term Metabolic Risk across Different Degrees of Gestational Glucose Intolerance: Methodology and Design

The Belgian Diabetes in Pregnancy follow-up study (BEDIP-FUS) aims to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI), adiposity and different degrees of glucose intolerance on the metabolic profile and future risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in women and offspring five years after delivery in the BEDIP study. The BEDIP study was a prospective cohort study to evaluate different screening strategies for gestational diabetes (GDM) based on the 2013 WHO criteria. The aim of the BEDIP-FUS is to recruit 375 women–offspring pairs, stratified according to three different subgroups based on the antenatal result of the glucose challenge test (GCT) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) during the BEDIP pregnancy. The follow-up visit consists of a 75 g OGTT, anthropometric measurements and questionnaires for the mothers, and a fasting blood sample with anthropometric measurements for the child. Primary outcome for the mother is glucose intolerance defined by the American Diabetes Association criteria and for the offspring the BMI z-score. Recruitment began in January 2021. The BEDIP-FUS study will help to better individualize follow-up in women with different degrees of hyperglycemia in pregnancy and their offspring.