Vol 12, No 3 (2011): Practical Diabetology
Research paper
Published online: 2011-10-10

open access

Page views 1758
Article views/downloads 7901
Get Citation

Connect on Social Media

Connect on Social Media

Gestational diabetes — a growing diagnostic and epidemiological problem

Katarzyna Kopacz, Małgorzata Myśliwiec, Ilona Techmańska, Agnieszka Brandt, Bogumił Wolnik, Krzysztof Preis, Wojciech Połom, Andrzej Wojtyła, Przemysław Biliński
Diabetologia Praktyczna 2011;12(3):96-102.

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Gestational diabetes (GDM) can be a transient disorder and in the majority of falls blood glucose levels normalize after giving birth, but it may also persist after the labor as a permanent diabetes. Moreover it also predisposes to develop diabetes in the future. The aim of the study was to analyze health behaviour among pregnant women in Poland focusing on the epidemiology of diabetes.
MATERIAL AND METHODS. Presented a report from an analysis of a survey under the title “Health behaviour of pregnant women”. The survey was created by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the authors of this publication and was addressed to young mothers residing on obstetric departments after the labor. In total 2893 filled surveys from all over Poland were collected.
RESULTS. According to the body mass index (BMI) of respondents, 18% of women were overweight and in 7% obesity was diagnosed. Moreover it has been shown that every fourth women (24.4%) put 15 to 20 kg on weight and over 9% gained over 20 kg. Among pregnant women with diabetes the disorder was diagnosed in the majority of falls during the current pregnancy (84%), 9% were diabetic since previous pregnancies and 7% were diagnosed with diabetes before becoming pregnant. In 2/3 of women which were diabetic in the previous pregnancy, glucose levels normalized within 6 weeks after the labor. However in 72% diabetes was rediagnosed in the next pregnancy. It is known from the survey that that the last group of patients put on weight significantly and had to be treated with insulin more often.
CONCLUSIONS. Diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy should be treated as an early stage of diabetes and in considerable group of women and their children can appear directly after the labor or later in their lives.
(Diabet. Prakt. 2011; 12, 3: 96–102)

Article available in PDF format

View PDF Download PDF file