Dietary Patterns and Occurrence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common health problem during
pregnancy which not only affects the mother but also the fetus. GMD can be defined as any
level of glucose intolerance that is primarily recognized during gestation is known as
gestational diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of GDM is continuously increasing nationally
and internationally. The pooled prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Pakistan is
15.3%.
Objective: The study intended to compare the dietary habits of pregnant women with GDM
and without GDM in Jinnah Hospital & Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore Pakistan.
Methodology: In this comparative cross-sectional study pregnant patients (150) were
enrolled at the Jinnah Hospital & Shaikh Zayed Hospital who were between 24 and 28
weeks of their pregnancy over the course of six months were given a
questionnaire. Using the participants' full consent, dietary intake patterns in (75) GDM and
(75) non- GMD subjects were evaluated using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), 24-
hour records, and three-day recalls.
Results: Total 150 participants (75 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus
(GDM) and 75 with non-GDM) were enrolled in current study. Analysis of the dietary intake
of all pregnant women in the two groups indicated that their diets mostly consisted in carb
(59.86%) with just minimal amounts of protein (15.53%) and fat (24.73%). The results
indicate the need of educating and advising pregnant women on nutrition, particularly in
Pakistan's lower- to middle-class communities, 110 (73%) participants out of 150, in order
to decline the occurrence of GDM and increase the health of both the mother and the fetus.
GDM was more likely to develop (p = 0.005) in patients who consume diets high in
carbohydrates. A family history of diabetes enhances the danger of developing GDM (P
value = 0.001).
Conclusion: Food choices have a big impact on the chance of developing gestational
diabetes mellitus. Primary risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus include a high intake
of a diet rich in carbohydrates and a low intake of fruits and vegetables.