| 23 Jan 2010 |
|
Qatar: Diabetes during pregnancy on the rise
- Text size
DOHA: A recent study conducted by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has revealed increase of Gestational Diabetes (GDM) in Qatar.
The study shows that more than 20 percent of the pregnant women in Qatar are diabetic.
Though GDM is not a threat, women should be careful as she is vulnerable to develop the disease after delivery.
The study also revealed that GDM was the leading cause of caesarian sections as the baby would be heavy built.
Even though no specific reasons have yet been linked with gestational diabetes, doctors believe that the hormones produced by a woman's placenta during pregnancy increases her resistance to insulin, resulting in impaired glucose tolerance.
"GDM is a one of the common problem during pregnancies in Qatar, today," said Dr Rafa Ali Mekki, Medical Consultant and Head of women's section, Al Emadi. "The number is still growing. Diabetes and Hypertension is increasing in women in Qatar."
If the blood glucose level in the mother increases, it will be transmitted to the blood of the fetus also.
However, at the same time, the insulin produced from the mother's body is not transferred to the fetal-blood, which increases its blood sugar level. This makes the fetal-pancreas to produce more insulin. It also makes the baby grow in size.
After birth, the child will suffer due to less-glucose in the blood. This will lead to different problems including respiratory difficulties. The increased insulin production initiated when the baby was in the womb will lead to high insulin in the blood. Also there is increased chance for the baby to suffer from obesity later in life and increased risk of Diabetes Type II
According to a study published in 2000, gestational diabetes was the cause of 9.6 percent of 83still births in Qatar.
HMC at present is conducting a study on maternal diabetes on the fetal-brain function. This is because GDM is neuro-toxic for the baby and hence can cause abnormalities and effects fetal brain function.
© The Peninsula 2010
Zawya is a distributor (and not a publisher) of content supplied by third parties and subscribers. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by those third parties, including information providers, subscribers or other users of the Service, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of the Company. The Company neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Service by anyone other than authorized Service employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities. The Company is not responsible for any infringement of intellectual property rights or breach of any applicable law or regulation, including regulation in relation to financial services or the distribution of financial products, defamation, data protection, telecommunications (including regulations relating to excessive use, spamming or other abusive activities) or obscene, offensive or illegal content). Under no circumstances will the Company be liable for any loss or damage caused by a member's reliance on information obtained through the Service. It is the responsibility of member to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through the Service. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content.
Read the full Member Agreement
http://www.zawya.com/legal/NewsLetter.cfm?name=disclaimer
Loading ...
Post a Comment
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.