Understanding Gestational Diabetes in Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of life’s greatest miracles that a woman gets to experience during her lifetime. However, sometimes in life certain obstacles come into play that can interfere with pregnancy. One of these obstacles is Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. According to diabetes.org, “Gestational Diabetes is a condition where women who have never had diabetes have high blood glucose (sugar) levels during pregnancy.” Gestational Diabetes begins when the body is not able to produce and use the right amount of insulin that is needed to sustain pregnancy. It is shown that the prevalence rate for Gestational Diabetes is about 16.1% and it is a common factor that is increasing worldwide. Sadly, research has stated that the chances of developing gestational

Studies have shown that having a higher BMI before or during the first trimester and excessive weight gain during early and mid-pregnancy are early markers for gestational diabetes mellitus. Studies have also concluded that women with a high pre-pregnancy BMI and a high gestational weight gain increases the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus by 2.2 to 5% fold. Currently, researchers are trying to determine how to reduce the risks that gestational diabetes mellitus has in pregnant mothers. Present day research has concluded with a theory that physical exercise plays an important role in preventing and reducing the risks gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant mothers. There are three research studies that help study the relationship between exercise and the reduction of the risks of gestational diabetes mellitus which include: Prospective Study of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk in Relation to Maternal Recreational Physical Activity before and during Pregnancy, Objectively recorded physical activity and the association with gestational diabetes, and Exercise intervention during pregnancy can be used to manage weight gain and improve pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes

It is reported that regular or a little bit of exercise can reduce the risks associated with gestational diabetes. Some of the risks include insulin resistance, oxidative stress, increased body fat, and high blood pressure. Also, it has shown that peripheral insulin resistance is a risk factor. In the past, there have been studies showing the reduction of risks involved in Gestational Diabetes are to physical activity. While these results from the studies are proof, these studies have possible bias due to self-reported physical activity. Due to this problem, the purpose of this study is to further test the hypothesis that physical activity reduces the risks of gestational diabetes. For the experimental design, researchers used participants from the Omega study which was made to examine dietary risk factors in pregnant women which were attending prenatal care. These women had to be 18 or older, had to speak English, and needed to carry out the pregnancy term. In this study, they had to perform a 48-60 minute interview regarding their maternal sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and medical history.