Trial aimed at preventing gestational diabetes

[Posted: Tue 03/04/2012 www.irishhealth.com]

Pregnant women are  being recruited into a new NUI Galway-led clinical trial which hopes to develop effective measures to prevent diabetes in pregnancy.

Participants will randomly receive either vitamin D or a specific diet or lifestyle intervention, including exercise instruction by a lifestyle coach or a combination of diet and physical activity.

"The trial hopes to establish whether any or all of these interventions prevent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which can have serious consequences for mother and baby during the pregnancy and later in life. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in overweight and obese women and is associated with insulin resistance, a precursor of GDM," according to NUI Galway.

Consultant endocrinologist and head of the School of Medicine NUI Galway, Prof Fidelma Dunne, is heading up the research.

She said: "Gestational diabetes occurs in 12% of pregnancies and carries with it increased risks for both mother and baby. This pan-European study will help inform us of the best strategy to prevent GDM and in doing so also prevent diabetes long-term in mother and infant."

The study is being coordinated through the Health Research Board Clinical Research Facility at NUI Galway.

Women who are less than 12 weeks pregnant and are overweight (BMI>29) and who will give birth at Galway University Hospitals are invited to participate on the study. All participants will be followed from 12 weeks of pregnancy until delivery.

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy and is more common in women who are overweight or obese.

Possible complications can include oversized babies, birth trauma and even intra-uterine death.

For more information visit www.nuigalway.ie