The study published in the scientific journal 'Cardiovascular Diabetology' describes epigenetic alterations in the offspring, beyond birth, associated with the maternal metabolic condition during gestation.
All racial and ethnic groups in Canada had an increase in the prevalence of gestational diabetes, which went from 4per cent of deliveries in 2004 to 7 per cent in 2014. Though the causes of the surge are unclear, it has been hypothesised that it is caused by older maternal ages, less exercise, and bad food. Researchers looked at data on more than 550 000 pregnancies in BC from 2005 to 2019 as well as the screening method and rates of screening completion. During the study period, diagnoses of gestational diabetes doubled, from 7.2 per cent to 14.7 per cent.
Our study suggests that light exposure before bedtime may be an under-recognized yet easily modifiable risk factor of gestational diabetes: Dr Minjee Kim
Newborns exposed to these two pregnancy problems were biologically younger than their chronological gestational age, according to the study, which was published in JAMA Network Open. Based on molecular markers in their cells, the infants' biological or "epigenetic" ages are determined.
Such pregnant women and even children born to them are at high risk of diabetes later in life, along with several other complications during their delivery. Doctors claim that lifestyle factors and hereditary issues are the main factors of gestational diabetes.
Infants who weigh more than 90 per cent of all infants of the same gestational age are considered to be LGA. LGA newborns had a higher likelihood of being admitted to the neonatal critical care unit and later developing health issues, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
.The team measured the genetic risk of type 2 diabetes using a polygenic risk score, which estimates the hereditary risk of an individual developing a disease based on the number of risk alleles they have. The researchers found that South Asian women with higher type 2 diabetes polygenic risk scores also had a higher risk of gestational diabetes; each incremental increase in the score was associated with a 45 per cent increase in the risk of developing this condition.
Tighter blood sugar control did not lead to babies being larger than expected, it did reduce the risk of infant death, trauma, and shoulder dystocia during birth by half.
Treatment for gestational diabetes improves mothers' and babies' health but it has been unclear what level of blood sugar should be used to make the diagnosis," says lead investigator, Professor Caroline Crowther
Pregnant women with diabetes should avoid skipping medication, control blood sugar levels, eat a well-balanced diet and take regular exercise as advised by the doctor for reducing or eliminating any pregnancy related complications, suggested doctors.
The women's nutrient intake was calculated from food diaries, on the basis of which two dietary patterns, a healthier and an unhealthier dietary pattern, were recognised. In addition, the overall quality of the diet in reference to that recommended was described with a diet quality index and the inflammatory potential with a dietary inflammatory index.
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