Gestational diabetes which is also known as pregnancy-related diabetes carries risks for both mother and child. The sooner the disease is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated. At present, the condition is diagnosed between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy with the use of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Investigators at Peking University’s Hospital in Beijing and several other research facilities in China and the United States have found that fasting blood sugar levels can be used to diagnose Gestational diabetes at the 19th week of pregnancy.

Their study, published in February of 2019 in the Chinese Medical Journal, included 34,087 pregnant women. Participants were classified as being…

• underweight,
• healthy weight,
• overweight, or
• obese,

and diagnosed at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy using OGTT. A total of 6806, 20 percent of the women were found to have Gestational diabetes.

• among overweight and obese women with fasting blood sugar levels of at least 5.10 mmol/L at 19 weeks, 78.5 percent went on to be diagnosed with l diabetes of pregnancy using OGTT at 24 to 28 weeks.
• among underweight and normal weight women, those with fasting blood sugars of 5.10 mmol/L or over, 52.9 percent were later diagnosed with diabetes.

From the above result,s the researchers concluded overweight and obese women with fasting blood sugar levels of 5.10 mmol/L or over at 19 weeks should be diagnosed with Gestational diabetes.

Like Type 2 diabetes, diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy can be treated with diet and physical activity. If needed, insulin or oral anti-diabetes medication can be added. The women are usually asked to monitor their blood sugar four to five times a day and adjust their eating and medication accordingly…

• Mayo Clinic in the United States recommends a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in refined carbohydrates.
• a physician, nurse, or dietician can advise the women on calorie counts and portion sizes.
• walking, swimming, and bicycle riding, along with regular housework and gardening, are often recommended.

Women diagnosed with Gestational diabetes are usually asked to visit their obstetrician or midwife more often and have their baby’s health monitored closely. Labor may be induced when the baby can safely breathe room air or if the pregnancy goes beyond the due date.

Delivery cures Gestational diabetes but mothers must be monitored for possible development of Type 2 diabetes after delivery. Diabetes testing should be performed 6 to 12 weeks after delivery, and every 1 to 3 years after that for at least the next 5 to 10 years.