A study that tracked nearly 2 million births in Sweden from 2000 to 2020 found that about half of cases of gestational diabetes, a common pregnancy complication, could be avoided if weight was maintained within a normal range. It is said that Please also read | Gestational Diabetes: Myths and Truths to Know
Gestational diabetes, where pregnant women develop high blood sugar levels, can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes later in life. Obesity or being overweight, with a BMI of over 30, has been studied to have a negative impact on pregnancy.
In this study, researchers from Linköping University in Sweden estimated the extent to which pregnancy complications could be avoided if a woman was of normal weight before becoming pregnant.
How important is a healthy weight before pregnancy?
“For example, we concluded that around half of all cases of gestational diabetes could be prevented, and this applies to both Swedish-born and foreign-born women,” said Dr. said Mariam Shirvanifar, a student in the program and lead author of the study. It was published in The Lancet Public Health magazine.
Researchers also found that more than a quarter of preeclampsia cases can be avoided by maintaining a healthy weight before pregnancy. This condition is accompanied by high blood pressure and can include severe headaches, blurred vision and swelling of the feet and ankles.
The study looked at both Swedish-born women and women who immigrated to Sweden from regions around the world, including Europe, Latin America, and South Asia.
Pontus Henriksson, head associate professor at Linköping University's School of Health, Medical and Care Sciences, says working to maintain a healthy weight can be beneficial for all women, regardless of ethnicity.
“A healthy weight is good for everyone, and the earlier in life the better because obesity is difficult to treat once it has formed,” Henriksson says.
Learn more about the research
Of the approximately 2 million pregnant women studied, nearly 17,000 were born in South Asia.
“The number of cases of gestational diabetes, caused by overweight and obesity, was approximately four times higher in women born in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East than in women born in Sweden. Region of previous birth “prevalence of gestational diabetes is high in the United States,” the authors wrote.
Other complications the researchers looked at included infant death in the first year of life, premature birth, and abnormal baby size at birth.
They took data from national registries and analyzed the relationship between women's pre-pregnancy body mass index and complications, depending on the region in which the women were born.
“Promoting a healthy weight during pregnancy may reduce the burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes and reduce inequalities in reproductive health,” the authors write.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.