Treating Gestational Diabetes Reduces Further Complications

A recent study has concluded that treating women who develop gestational diabetes

reduces the chances for the development of obesity in their children.

The recently concluded research found that the higher the blood sugar levels of the mother results in an increased risk of their infant becoming obese by the age of five until seven. This is apparent despite that these markers were high and not become full-blown gestational diabetes.

According to study lead Dr. Teresa Hilier of Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research of Portland, Oregon, untreated high blood sugar levels doubles the risk of the child born becoming overweight or obese. When women with diabetes follow a diet or had used insulin, this risk significantly lowered, making their children susceptible to obesity at the same risk level as mother's with normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

She added, "The important message is that the risk of child obesity related to gestational diabetes is potentially reversible." And added that high blood sugar levels during pregnancy is one of the major contributors to the pervasiveness of childhood obesity.

The research was done under the financial auspices of the American Diabetes Association and was published in the association's journal Diabetes Care last September.

Gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy and afflicts between three to eight percent of all pregnancies in the United States. With the elevated levels, the result would be the increased size of the fetus often requiring Caesarean section deliveries. Aside from this, there are many other health problems that can occur later in life for both mother and child.

When the pregnant mother with gestational diabetes undertook changes in their diet through the assistance of a nutritionist, blood sugar levels went down. This can help them not only with the current baby they are carrying but in future pregnancies that the mother would have. In the long run, the baby would be healthier and would avoid any weight issues during their growth and development.

For the study, the research team reviewed medical records for 9,439 pregnant mothers from Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. These mothers gave birth between 1995 and 2000. As part of their inpatient treatment, they were screened for diabetes and the children who were given birth were weighed when they reached between ages of five and seven.

For mothers with normal levels, 24 percent of their children were overweight while 12 percent were obese. With those with untreated levels, 35 percent had overweight children while 20 percent were diagnosed as obese. Compared to the group whose blood sugar levels were treated, 28 percent had overweight children and only 17 percent were obese. Factors such as mother's age, weight gain during pregnancy, size of baby and ethnicity did not have a statistical effect on the results of the study.

In the final calculations, children whose mothers had untreated levels have an 89 percent more risk to be overweight and 82 percent more risk to be obese compared to children whose mothers had normal levels. Even children born with normal weights, depending on the blood sugar levels of their mothers during pregnancy, were at risk of becoming obese later in life.

by: Bobby Castro

POST COMMENT

Cool Tips For People Who Are Existing With Diabetes If You Suffer From Diabetes The Treat Type 2 Diabetes Naturally Program May Be In A Position To Help Myrtle Beach Chiropractor - How To Cure Diabetes? Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors What Is Needed In Diabetes First Aid Kits The Basics Of Diabetes Test Strips Diabetes Care Management Proper Control Of Blood Sugar Coping With Diabetes Kidney Problems From Diabetes Tips On Diabetes Prevention Reducing Your Risks Of Diabetes Symptoms Of Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms Of Type 1 Diabetes