A new study paints a more accurate picture of pregnancy-related diabetes risk

Gestational diabetes, known as gestational diabetes, is linked to an increased chance of a range of complications for both mother and baby, including a caesarean section, severe breathing problems and excess birth weight, a study published today in the BMJ fou.

The researchers say their findings "contribute to a more complete understanding of adverse outcomes associated with gestational diabet.

Gestational diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar levels during pregnancy, which can cause problems for both mother and baby during pregnancy and after bir.

In 2008, a large study assessed the risk of adverse outcomes associated with gestational diabetes, but it did not adjust for some potential influencing (confounding) factors, and other important pregnancy outcomes were poorly reported, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions conclusi.

To address this uncertainty, researchers at Central South University in China analyzed data from 156 studies involving more than 7 million participants reporting pregnancy complications in women with gestational diabet.

They then analysed according to the study country (developed or developing), study quality, diagnostic criteria and screening methods us.

Without insulin, after adjusting for confounders in the study, they found that women with gestational diabetes had increased odds of caesarean section, preterm birth, lower one-minute Apgar scores (a measure of how well a baby was born at the time of birth), birth weight, excess and the number of babies born with gestational diabet.

In studies of insulin use, when adjusted for confounders, they found that women with gestational diabetes had an older baby, either had respiratory distress syndrome, neonatal jaundice, or required admission to a neonatal intensive care un.

After adjusting for confounders, they found no significant difference in the odds of several other outcomes, including instrumental delivery (such as the use of forceps), postpartum hemorrhage (major postpartum hemorrhage), stillbirth, neonatal death, and low birth weight with and without among women with gestational diabet.

These are observations, so cause cannot be established, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that other unmeasured factors may have affected their resul.

However, this is the most in-depth analysis of its kind to date, and the researchers say it "contributes to a more complete understanding of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with gestational diabet.

Therefore, they concluded: "These findings support the need for further understanding of the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes to predict risk and take preventive measures to reduce adverse pregnancy outcom.

They also said that future preliminary studies "should routinely consider adjustments for more complete prognostic facto.