Obesity and diabetes are going hand-in-hand in causing pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, according to a new study.
The study looked at pregnant Finnish women who had an increased risk of gestational diabetes because of their weights and history of gestational diabetes mellitus.
As part of the study the food records from obese women or women with GDM history were studied in the Finnish Gestational Diabetes Prevention Study.
The study was published online May 19 at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439424/
What they found was that the pregnant women had a mean fat intake of 33 percent saturated fatty acids and carbohydrate at 46 percent. Sucrose intake among pregnant women with GDM history was 7 percent, which was different from the intake of the other pregnant women.
Median intakes of folate and vitamins A and D provided by food sources were below the Finnish national nutrition recommendation, but, excluding vitamin A, supplements raised the total intake to the recommended level. The frequency of use of dietary supplements among pregnant women was 77 percent.
The researchers concluded excessive intake of SFA and low intake of carbohydrates among women at high risk of GDM may further increase their risk of GDM. Also, pregnant women at high risk of GDM seem to have insufficient intakes of vitamin D and folate from food, and thus need supplementation.