Gestational Diabetes

Researcher’s report that mother to be who are obese and have associated diabetes can have impact on the growth of their unborn babies.

Researchers examined the possible link between obesity, diabetes and three adverse pregnancy outcomes- primary caesarean delivery, pre-term birth and low birth-weight (LBW)-by racial, or ethnic group.

Terry J. Rosenberg of Medical Health and Research Association (MHRA), New York, and fellow researchers collected data from the 1999, 2000 and 2001 New York City birth files for 329, 988 singleton births that included information on the mother’s pre-pregnancy weight and weight gained during pregnancy.

“Our goal was to understand better how these associations impact birth outcomes,” a researcher said.

They found that chronic and gestational diabetes were significant risks for a primary caesarean and pre-term birth in all women, reports the online edition of American Journal of Public Health.

Diabetes as a risk for low weight of babies also varies.

Chronic diabetes increased the risk for low birth weight among Asians, Hispanics and Whites. But it was not a significant predictor of low birth weight among Blacks.

“In this population-based study, obesity and diabetes were independently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, highlighting the need for women to undergo lifestyle changes to help them control their weight during the childbearing years and beyond,” researchers said.

Source-IANS

Thanks,

Health, February-2013