Dr Amos Grunebaum delivers his lecture yesterday. Abdul Basit
DOHA: Over 150 doctors, health professionals, students, and international experts took part in a symposium on diabetes during pregnancy hosted by Sidra Medical and Research Center yesterday.
Experts advocated for universal screening for gestational diabetes, which affects over six percent of pregnant women in Qatar, with a higher prevalence in Qatari women.
Dr Joachim W Dudenhausen, Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Sidra Medical and Research Center and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, moderated the panel of international and local experts on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
The panel consisted of Dr Badreldeen Ahmed, Head of Feto-Maternal Center in Doha; Dr Amos Grunebaum, Director of Obstetrics and Chief of Labour and Delivery and Director of Obstetric Patient Safety and Quality Improvement at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, US; and Dr Andreas Plagemann, Professor and Head of Division of ‘Experimental Obstetrics’ at the Obstetrics clinic at Charité University Medicine Berlin in Germany.
Dr Plagemann addressed the misconception that many women have regarding nutritional needs during pregnancy: the perceived need to eat for two. This belief, Dr Plagemann said, was incorrect and could lead to overeating, as well as neonatal overfeeding, which may lead to GDM.
“Overeating and overfeeding of the fetus, which occurs in one-third of pregnancies in Westernised countries, may lead to epigenetic programming of long-term risks for the newborn, such as developing the metabolic syndrome. Although an increase in appetite and weight gain is expected and is normal during the nine-month period, women should maintain a healthy weight increase and a sufficient level of physical activity,” Dr Plagemann said.
Gestational diabetes is an important disease to be aware of during pregnancy and, if left untreated, may worsen maternal and fetal outcomes.
Dr Grunebaum explained that treatment for GDM begins well before pregnancy by optimising weight and includes proper diet, exercise, intensive monitoring of glucose levels, insulin and oral hypoglycemic medications, with most women responding to adequate changes in diet and exercise patterns.
Dr Badreldeen Ahmed added that ultrasounds are the most effective way to diagnose GDM.
“Approximately one in every three women here has diabetes, either a full picture of diabetes or a glucose impediment. It’s a very common problem among all the population,” he added.
Globally GDM affects two to 10 percent of pregnant women, which makes it the most prevalent health concern during pregnancy. In Qatar, 6.4 percent of pregnant women suffer from GDM, with a higher prevalence in Qatari women. Some studies also found that GDM is increasing in Qatar because of the increase in obesity, multiple births, and a family history of diabetes.
GDM usually develops during the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy, when the body is required to produce two to three times more insulin to balance the blood glucose level. If a pregnant woman’s body is not able to produce this required amount, then blood glucose levels increases, resulting in GDM. After a woman gives birth, blood glucose levels usually return to normal.
The Peninsula
