Diabetes Risk in Pregnant Women
“Diabetes” is a disease found more in women than men, and 2 in 5 women with diabetes are of reproductive age (approximately 60 million worldwide). The IDF, or International Diabetes Federation, estimates that there are up to 20.9 million women, or 16.2% of pregnant women, with high blood sugar levels. Of these, 85.1% are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and 7.4% have other types of diabetes detected during pregnancy. This results in 1 in 7 babies being born to mothers with gestational diabetes. Older pregnant women are at higher risk of high blood sugar levels.
Diabetes… The 9th Leading Cause of Death
Diabetes is the 9th leading cause of death among women worldwide, accounting for 2.1 million deaths per year. Dietary habits increase women’s risk of diabetes due to poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, smoking, and harmful alcohol consumption.
Gestational Diabetes Can Be Divided into Two Types as Follows:
- Pre-existing diabetes before pregnancy
- Newly diagnosed diabetes during pregnancy, usually found between 22-28 weeks of gestation
Two in five women with diabetes are of reproductive age. Women with diabetes face fertility issues and may experience adverse pregnancy outcomes. Unplanned pregnancies in women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes increase maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates. One in seven children is affected by mothers with gestational diabetes.
Additionally, women with gestational diabetes may face serious health threats such as pregnancy-induced hypertension and may develop type 2 diabetes after delivery. Women with gestational diabetes have an 8.4% risk of developing diabetes within 8 years compared to pregnant women without diabetes.
Factors Affecting Future Diabetes Risk in Women with Gestational Diabetes
- Family history of diabetes
- Obesity before pregnancy
- High fasting blood sugar levels
- High blood cholesterol
- Previous history of gestational diabetes
- Pregnant women aged 35 years or older (currently, the age of onset is decreasing, with cases found in women in their early 30s)
Therefore, if diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the risk of future diabetes should be reduced by managing the above risk factors, such as losing weight, controlling diet, and reducing blood sugar and fat levels.
How to Know If You Are at Risk of Gestational Diabetes?
Pregnant women with diabetes have symptoms similar to those with diabetes, such as frequent hunger, increased appetite, frequent thirst, frequent urination (possibly waking up at night to urinate), and more fatigue than usual. During prenatal visits, doctors will detect sugar in the urine. Normal values are fasting blood sugar less than 95 mg/dl, blood sugar 1 hour after glucose intake less than 180 mg/dl, and blood sugar 2 hours after glucose intake less than 155 mg/dl. If any of these values are equal to or higher than normal, a diagnosis of “gestational diabetes” is made. Without treatment and blood sugar control, complications may occur as mentioned above.
How to Manage Gestational Diabetes
- Strictly follow the doctor’s advice
- Control diet with proper proportions and timing, which is very important. Eat 3-5 meals a day, but the total daily food intake must be appropriately controlled as follows:
- Reduce starches or sugars and switch from white rice to brown rice
- Increase protein intake, choose lean meats without skin
- Eat a variety of vegetables, focusing on high-fiber types
- Choose milk, preferably fresh, unsweetened, and low-fat milk
- Avoid sweets and very sweet fruits such as lychee, ripe mango, and rambutan
- Avoid high-salt foods such as various snacks
- Avoid high-fat foods like fried or stir-fried dishes with a lot of oil (use vegetable oils instead, such as rice bran oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil)
- Exercise appropriately; avoid heavy exercise that may risk the baby. Recommended activities include walking, light jogging, swimming, dancing, or upper body exercises for 30 minutes daily, depending on the doctor’s advice
- Attend regular prenatal check-ups as scheduled. Doctors may schedule more frequent visits to monitor the health of both mother and baby, including blood tests to check blood sugar levels for proper treatment adjustments
- Diabetes medication will be injectable, and some cases require multiple daily injections
- If abnormalities occur, such as extreme fatigue, excessive weight gain, lack of abdominal growth, decreased or stopped fetal movement, symptoms of preeclampsia, or diabetic retinopathy, seek medical attention immediately
Will Diabetes Go Away After Delivery?
After delivery, diabetes symptoms usually disappear. However, if pregnant again, the chance of diabetes is over 30%. Six weeks postpartum, blood sugar should be tested. If normal, test blood sugar annually because women with gestational diabetes have a risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Therefore, lifestyle changes are necessary as follows:
- Lose weight to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Eat quality food, increase vegetables and non-sweet fruits, and reduce fat intake, especially saturated fats
- Exercise regularly
