About one in six pregnant women in Australia are now diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Rates have more than doubled since the thresholds for diagnosis were changed.
Improving diabetes care in South Africa requires strong will and support from health authorities, introduction of clinical information systems, the use of technology and digital solutions.
The rapid rise in diabetes mustn’t be overlooked, as it could have devastating health and economic effects. Most national health systems are already struggling with infectious diseases.
Pregnant women should try to stay inside when the air pollution is high.
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Pregnant women exposed to bushfire smoke face a higher risk of complications including gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and giving birth prematurely.
For women who have had gestational diabetes, maintaining a healthy diet can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on.
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Women who have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. But regular checks, a healthy diet and exercise are can help to manage this risk.
New research shows that diabetes is a family affair.
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Many couples share exercise, eating and weight patterns. Families of women with gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in the future.
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when women have elevated levels of sugar in their blood during pregnancy. But there’s no international threshold.
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Sarah and Donna are 26 weeks pregnant and have the same blood sugar levels. But while Donna is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, Sarah is spared from the label. It comes down to where she lives.
Women who’ve had gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of health problems down the track.
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Gestational diabetes should be seen as an opportunity to identify families at higher risk of metabolic problems and take action.
New research shows that when mothers who have experienced childhood trauma feel supported by the people around them – such as therapists, physicians, friends and neighbours – their risk of pregnancy complications is substantially reduced.
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Childhood trauma impacts women’s health and can be passed from parent to child. New research shows that when new mothers feel supported, the risk of pregnancy complications is reduced.
Medical panels are constantly lowering thresholds across many diseases, which results in more and more healthy people being diagnosed as sick.
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More of us are labelled as sick with the constantly changing diagnostic cut-offs for diseases. Now an international expert panel has drafted a list of things to consider before setting new thresholds.
In Western societies, average age of first period has dropped from 17 to 13 years over the past century.
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Girls who have their first period at a young age are more likely to experience poorer health as a adult, including an elevated risk of diabetes during pregnancy.
Expanding the definitions of disease can cause a cascade of overtesting and overtreatment.
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It affects nearly one in five women, and half go on to develop type 2 diabetes. It’s one of the great intervention opportunities that public health overseers keep ignoring.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary
Assistant professor, School of Psychology, Scientist, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa