Diet and weight gain characteristics of pregnant women with gestational diabetes

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 64; no. 12; pp. 1433 - 1440
• Main Authors: Salmenhaara, M, Uusitalo, L, Uusitalo, U, Kronberg-Kippilä, C, Sinkko, H, Ahonen, S, Veijola, R, Knip, M, Kaila, M, Virtanen, S.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.12.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/699/2743/137/1926; 692/700/459/284; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body weight; Body weight gain; Clinical Nutrition; Cultured Milk Products - metabolism; dairy products; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - metabolism; Diabetes, Gestational - metabolism; Diet; Dietary Fats; Dietary fiber; Dietary Fiber - metabolism; Dietary intake; Energy Intake; Epidemiology; Fatty acids; Feeding Behavior; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Folic Acid; Food; Food intake; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational diabetes; Glucose tolerance; grain products; human diseases; Humans; Internal Medicine; iron; Iron, Dietary; maternal nutrition; Meat; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Milk products; nutrient density; nutrient intake; Nutrients; Nutrition; original-article; Pregnancy; pregnant women; Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Prevention; protein intake; Public Health; saturated fatty acids; Sugar; sugars; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; vitamin A; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Vitamins - metabolism; Weight; Weight Gain; Young Adult; gestational diabetes; weight gain; diet; Pregnancy; Human; Diet; Female; Metabolic diseases; Gestational diabetes; Woman; Weight gain; Feeding
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.167

Background/Objectives: To determine if women with gestational diabetes (GD) modify their diet and nutrient intake in late pregnancy and gain more weight during pregnancy compared with women without GD. Subjects/Methods: Food and nutrient intake of 3613 pregnant women was studied using food frequency questionnaires from the Type I Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Nutrition Study. Results: GD was reported in 4.8% of the participating women (n=174). Women with GD gained less weight during pregnancy than those unaffected by GD (mean 9.4 vs 12.6 kg, P<0.001). Women with GD consumed more milk products (84 vs 76 g/MJ, P=0.002), cereal products (21 vs 18 g/MJ, P<0.001), vegetables (32 vs 22 g/MJ, P<0.001) and meat (16 vs 14 g/MJ, P<0.001) than unaffected women. The intake of protein (18 vs 16 percent of total daily energy intake, P<0.001) and dietary fibre (3.1 vs 2.4 g/MJ, P<0.001) was higher, whereas the intake of sugars (13.3 vs 15.0 g/MJ, P<0.001) and saturated fatty acids (3.49 vs 3.98 g/MJ, P<0.001) was lower among women with GD. The nutrient density of the diet was higher in women with GD with higher intakes of vitamins A and D, folate and iron. Conclusions: The late pregnancy diet of women with GD differed considerably from that of unaffected women. Women with GD had a higher body weight at the beginning of the pregnancy, but they gained less weight during pregnancy. These findings indicate that abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy encourages women to modify their dietary habits towards healthier food choices.