Can Diet And Lifestyle Affect Control Of Blood Sugar

The study researchers explained that these pregnant women suffering from pregnant-related diabetes and reliant on food stamps or living a chaotic lifestyle may find it hard to have a control of their well-being. The authors wrote in Obstetrics and Gynecology that the factors under consideration may be modifiable.

Dr. Laura Colicchia, who led the study at the University of Pittsburgh and is at the moment in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Abbott Northwestern Hospital said that there are numerous social factors, which impact one’s overall pregnancy health.

More women getting diabetic during pregnancy

Colicchia said that close to 20,000 women in the United States develop diabetes during pregnancy on a yearly basis. This forces them to live a strict lifestyle, with the requirement to weekly provide their doctors with their blood sugars level, check their blood sugar level daily and frequently go for ultrasound in addition to taking insulin or medications daily.

She added that “Gestational diabetes impacts every aspect of a woman’s life including eating with and cooking for her family, scheduling her blood sugar checks and meals at work, where she obtains the food to follow the diet and how she creates time for everything.”

She sent an email to Reuters Health saying that the hindrances to diabetes health management may originate from any direction, including her employer, neighbor, family or daily routine.

Poor women face higher risks

For the women facing poverty and thus cannot access a variety of meals, their gestational diabetes risk is much higher. Each time they undergo a diabetes diagnosis, the sugar level is usually higher, making the control harder.

This study was conducted on 111 women who suffered from gestational diabetes at the time they attended their clinical visits. They were given questionnaires where they filled information on social support as well as how “chaotic” their life was. Their ability to be well organized and plan for the future was also measured.

The participant’s medical records were later on analyzed to check for blood sugar control, maternal weight gain, infant size and newborn health.

For the women whose blood sugar assessments were the set limit or better, they were rated as having control of at least 70% of their sugar level.

Generally, 86 women out of the 111 assessed had a good glycemic control, which was achieved either by insulin treatment, medication or diet changes only. Most of these women were married, had a high income, and exercised on a weekly basis.

Overall, social support and access to food were not linked to blood sugar control, although the women under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) showed a poor control of their sugar level.

In addition, these women that depicted poor control of their sugar levels also had a chaotic lifestyle.

Nancy Ross of McGill University in Montreal and did not take part in the study said that these women need to be assisted to lessen the chaos. Doctors should inquire about the social factors associated with diabetes care and the women should provide honest answers.

However, now a days with improve health care most women can have safe pregnancy and delivery though they have diabetes. So, talk to your BLS healthcare provider if you have your diabetes in good control before you get pregnant because they are the best source of information for questions.