A new study claims that twice as many women as previously thought develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
The research highlights that 16 per cent of women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy , as opposed to the previous estimate that only 8 per cent develop the condition.
These international research findings involved 23,000 women in nine countries, to be published in the March issue of Diabetes Care .
This research highlights that the blood glucose levels of pregnant women, which were once considered to be in the normal range, are currently to be those of a woman with gestational diabetes.
This means that there will be upto three times the number of pregnant women being diagnosed with gestational diabetes than presently.
Should such blood glucose levels be left undetected, there is the possibility of producing large babies and even lead to an increased risk of injury during delivery,. Hence, many women would have to have a caesarean section.
In many cases of gestational diabetes the body is unable to produce enough insulin to meet the additional needs of pregnancy.
In most cases, gestational diabetes is apparent the second trimester of pregnancy. The baby’s major organs are pretty well developed at this stage and the risk to the baby is lower than for women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes .
Babies of women who have had blood glucose problems that were undiagnosed before pregnancy have a higher risk of malformations. This degree of risk is related to how long blood glucose levels have been high and on how high these levels have been.
Women with Gestational Diabetes Number Estimated
Mon, 01 Mar 2010
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