Gestational diabetes cases are rising

Speaking on The Baby Tribe podcast, Professor Fionnuala Breathnach explained why there's been a sharp increase in cases.

Professor Breathnach, who practices at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, stated that approximately 1 in 6 pregnant women in Ireland currently develop gestational diabetes.

This represents a twofold increase compared to a decade ago. While changes in diagnostic criteria account for some of this increase, the trend remains a serious concern.

She said: "At the minute,  it’s (the amount of women presenting with gestational diabetes at the Rotunda) about 14%.

"That's around 1400 women a year. It’s effectively like 1 in 6 pregnant women has a gestational diabetes label or develops it at some stage during the pregnancy. It’s important to realise that a decade ago it was half that.

She continued, "We know that gestational diabetes is all about diet and exercise and sugar metabolism in pregnancy. It's not really plausible that over the course of a decade, dietary habits have changed so much to explain a twofold increase in the incidence of gestational diabetes."

"What has happened is just that diagnostic criteria have changed and have widened. So what we used to call normal before is now gestational diabetes."

What are the causes of gestational diabetes?

The key risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

• BMI over 30
• Family history of type 2 diabetes
• Ethnicity (certain ethnic groups have a higher genetic predisposition)

Professor Breathnach added, "The most significant risk factors are BMI over 30 and family history of diabetes. Typically type two diabetes.

"The other big risk factor is there are certain ethnic groups in whom type two diabetes is actually really common, and they have a diabetes gene, if you like. They're the big risk factors."

Professor Breathnach said about half of pregnant women at The Rotunda have some sort of a risk factor.

"Typically one of one of those three. Those women all have a formal screen at about 28 weeks or so, and a glucose tolerance test, and about a fifth of them will screen positive."

You can listen to the full episode here.

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