New Guidelines for Gestational Diabetes
by Jennifer Bunn, RNThe previous guidelines for acceptable and safe blood sugar levels during pregnancy have been lowered, meaning that more women will be determined to have gestational diabetes than ever before.
The current standards identify women who may be at higher risk of becoming diabetic later in life, but don’t take into account the risks posed to both mother and baby by higher blood sugar levels, such as high birth weight babies, increased incidence of cesarean section, premature birth and preeclampsia, a dangerous condition causing dangerously high blood pressure in pregnant women.
More than 23,000 women from nine different countries were included in a study, with the following levels recommended as the cut-off for diagnosing gestational diabetes:
- Fasting glucose of 92 or greater
- Fasting glucose test of 180 or more after one hour
- Fasting glucose tolerance of 153 after two hours
The study, which appears in the March issue of Diabetes Care, suggests that as a result of the new recommendations, 2 to 3 times as many women will be diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It is hoped that the new recommendations will decrease the number of premature births, cesarean sections, high birth weight babies, and incidence of preeclampsia.
Source: Twice as Many Women May Soon Be Diagnosed With Gestational Diabetes
