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Study may promote diabetes testing in pregnant women

Category: Female Specific Tests

Doctors may encourage diabetes testing for more patients after a recent study indicated that women who drink five or more servings of sugary cola each week before becoming pregnant are at a higher risk of developing the condition during their pregnancy.

Dr Liwei Chen led a team of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development which studied the medical records of 13,475 women over a 10-year span, HealthDay News reports.

The scientists found that women who drank more than five servings each week of sugar-sweetened sodas had a 22 percent higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than women who drank less than one serving each month.

Gestational diabetes, marked by glucose intolerance, is a common complication during pregnancy, according to the study, which appeared in the December issue of Diabetes Care. The condition increases the woman's chances of developing lasting diabetes and may affect the health of the unborn child, Chen told the news source.

"The key to a healthy pregnancy is seeking good medical care and having a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy," the researchers stated. "This includes eating a variety of foods and beverages in moderation along with getting regular physical activity."

The American Diabetes Association recommends the A1C diabetes test to diagnose the condition.