READINGS

ON
GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Submitted by:

Marion Angeli D. de Asis

BSN 4-A GROUP 2

Submitted to:

Ms. Geraldine Garsano, R.N.

Clinical Instructor
Filipino women at very high risk for gestational diabetes

FILIPINO women are at very high risk for developing diabetes during pregnancy which
may lead to childbirth complications, a recent study showed.

"Filipinos and Koreans had the highest prevalence of GDM (gestational diabetes
mellitus)," the Kaiser Permanente study, which appeared in the December issue of
Ethnicity and Disease, stated.

While the study did not include the reasons or causes of GDM prevalence, its lead author
said, "it has important implications for diagnosis and treatment of gestational diabetes."

"All pregnant women and their caregivers need to be educated about gestational
diabetes, but it is especially important for women in these ethnic groups at higher risk."
Kathryn Pedula, who is a researcher at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health
Research, said.

Untreated gestational diabetes mellitus can lead to serious pregnancy and birthing
complications, including early delivery and C-sections, the study stated. It can also
increase the child’s risk of developing obesity later in life, it added.

GDM is diabetes that first appears in pregnancy and resolves at birth. Women who
develop gestational diabetes have problems metabolizing glucose. The fetus of a woman
with gestational diabetes may become large as it stores the excess glucose it is
receiving from the mother in the form of fat. A large infant may have a more difficult
time descending down the birth canal. Other potential risks for baby include blood sugar
and jaundice.

The Kaiser Permanente study was funded by the American Diabetes Foundation. Authors
of the study chose Hawaii because it "has one of the most ethnically diverse populations
in the world."

Some 16,757 women aged 13-39, who gave birth in the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan
in Hawaii between 1995 and 2003 were included in the study. Researchers obtained
ethnic classification from the mothers’ birth certificates on file with the Hawaii
Department of Health.

"This study underscores Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to identify differences in risk

and for different ethnic and racial groups," said Kaiser Permanente medical director Dr.
Winston Wong.

"While we cannot eliminate the increased risk of prenatal diabetes…we use this kind of
research to alert and empower our health care professionals and physicians to reduce
disparities and achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients and their children,"
he added.

Aside from Pedula, other authors of the study include Dr. Teresa A. Hillier, Mark Schmidt,
Judith A. Mullen, Dr. Marie-Aline Charles, MD, and Dr. David J. Pettitt.

( www.asianjournal.com )
(http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-usa/15-dateline-usa/3971-filipino-women-at-very-
high-risk-for-gestational-diabetes.html)