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They Say: Treating Diabetes Prevents C-Sections
Doctors already know treating gestational diabetes is going to help reduce a woman’s risk that she’ll develop Type 2 diabetes. But now they’ve found simple treatments may ward of C-sections and a range of health problems for baby.
In a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, scientists map out a plan for reducing the risk of fetal overgrowth (aka high birthweight), shoulder dystocia and hypertensive disorders. And by lowering the baby’s birthweight, they’ll be lowering the chance that a pregnant mom will need to deliver via C-section too.
Studying close to one thousand women from the twenty-fourth to thirty-first week of pregnancy on, researchers randomly assigned women with mild gestational diabetes to either undergo normal pre-natal treatment or to adjust their diets, monitor glucose levels and for some use insulin therapies. The key here is mild gestational diabetes – women with severe forms have always been considered at risk, but until now the affects of the milder forms on a fetus were unknowns for doctors.
According to Dr. Mark Landon of Ohio State University, lead author of the study, ninety percent of the women fared better with simple diet modification – only seven percent required insulin. And the treatment cut in half the number of babies born “too large,” in addition to cutting the number of C-sections.
Did your doc suggest diet modification when your glucose tested high?
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3 Comments
Caramoan commented on Jan 17 10 at 10:18 pmDiabetes can be prevented by just having a physically active lifestyle. Just exercise everyday and avoid eating too much. Avoid sweets and high carb foods too.
Camila Perry commented on Apr 28 10 at 9:01 pmWith current advances in stem cell research, it won’t be long before we can find a permanent cure for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. `
Amanda commented on Feb 11 12 at 12:36 pmI realize this is an older article, but the above comment bothered me enough to comment. I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and I am EXTREMELY healthy. I have worked out every other day THIS ENTIRE PREGNANCY and have be obsessive with my eating habits. Lots of protein, limited carbs and virtually ZERO sugar. Whelp, didn’t matter. Women need to stop judging each other. I fit none of the risk groups, and yet here I am.
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