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Abstract Approximately 7% of all pregnancies are complicated by gestational diabetes, resulting in more than 200,000 cases annually. The prevalence may range from 1 to 14% of all pregnancies, depending on the population studied and the diagnostic tests employed. Two types of screening methods for gestational diabetes are adopted; universal screening and selective or risk factor based screening. Our study enrols 300 patients between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation regardless of any risk factors for gestational diabetes. The aim of the study is to assess the efficiency of screening for gestational diabetes by ultrasonographic measurements of fetal abdominal circumference, estimated fetal weight and abdominal subcutaneous fat layer, against the efficiency of screening for gestational diabetes by O’sullivan test (50 gram glucose challenge test). All screen positive cases were subjected to the 2 hour OGTT to confirm or rule out the diagnosis of gestational diabetes. Results have shown that screening for gestational diabetes by ultrasound measurement of abdominal circumference, biparietal diameter and estimated fetal weight between 24-28 weeks of gestation is a reliable, cost-effective method that can be used solely or combined with O’Sullivan test. Screening for gestational diabetes by ultrasound measurement of abdominal circumference, biparietal diameter and estimated fetal weight has a high specificity (97.56%), sensitivity of 69.23%, PPV 56.25%, NPV 98.59% and accuracy 96.33%, thus, combined ultrasonographic and O’sullivan screening between 24-28 weeks of gestation has better accuracy and sensitivity than using on of the screening tools. The addition of fetal abdominal subcutaneous fat layer measurement to the biometric measurements of abdominal circumference, biparietal diameter and estimated fetal weight does not yield better accuracy, positive or negative predictive value, sensitivity or specificity. |