Janet Ogundepo Gnaecologists and endocrinologists have recommended that pregnant women be tested for gestational diabetes as soon as they register for antenatal care, rather than waiting until the usual 24-26 weeks. The experts emphasised that early testing and diagnosis are crucial to protecting both mother and child from the complications associated with gestational diabetes. They warned that undetected and uncontrolled gestational diabetes in pregnant women increases the risk of miscarriages, preterm labour, bleeding during delivery, and intrauterine death of the baby.
Additionally, they noted that babies born to women with this condition could suffer from severe neurological and skeletal deformities, be born with type 2 diabetes, and face complications during delivery. In separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the experts advocated for lifestyle modifications, regular exercise, proper diet, pre-conception care, and consistent antenatal visits to prevent the adverse outcomes of gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is any level of glucose intolerance or high blood sugar that begins or is first detected during pregnancy and returns to normal after delivery.
In many countries, women at risk of gestational diabetes were tested between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. However, a new study conducted by 28 academics from 13 countries and published in Lancet, revealed that testing and treatment before 14 weeks of pregnancy rather than 24 weeks of gestation, could prevent co.