Objective To analyze the risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in late pregnancy and explore the correlation between inflammatory stress status and pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.

Methods A total of 87 pregnant women with GDM in late pregnancy were selected as GDM group, and another 87 pregnant women without GDM during the same period were selected as non-GDM group. Univariate analysis was conducted to compare the clinical data between the GDM group and the non-GDM group, and binary Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors for GDM. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to investigate the correlation between inflammatory stress status and pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women.

Results Univariate analysis showed that compared with the non-GDM group, the GDM group had a higher proportion of women who were older, had a weight gain of ≥15 kg during pregnancy, a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes, a family history of diabetes, gestational hypertension, anemia during pregnancy, vaginal candidiasis infection, a preference for sweet foods, and a lower proportion of women engaging in daily exercise for ≥1 h(P < 0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that older age, weight gain of ≥15 kg during pregnancy, history of adverse pregnancy outcomes, family history of diabetes, gestational hypertension, anemia during pregnancy and preference for sweet foods were independent risk factors for GDM in late pregnancy (P < 0.05), while daily exercise for ≥1 h was an independent protective factor (P < 0.05). Compared with pregnant women with adverse pregnancy outcomes, women with favorable pregnancy outcomes had higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), lymphocytes (LYM), neutrophils (NEUT), procalcitonin (PCT) and white blood cells (WBC) (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the levels of inflammatory stress indicators such as CRP, LYM, NEUT, PCT and WBC were positively correlated with the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in GDM pregnant women (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The incidence of GDM in late pregnancy is associated with maternal age, weight gain during pregnancy, history of adverse pregnancy outcomes, family history of diabetes, gestational hypertension, anemia during pregnancy, preference for sweet foods and daily exercise time. Moreover, the inflammatory stress status of GDM patients in late pregnancy is closely related to adverse pregnancy outcomes.