Diabetes of pregnancy: women must continue to be monitored after giving birth

[30 March 2009 - 08h35]
[mis à jour le 24 April 2009 à 10h34]

Women who suffer from diabetes of pregnancy are at particular risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the 5 years after giving birth. In France, one mother-to-be in every eight is affected by this glucose intolerance that appears during pregnancy and which, most often, disappears again after delivery.

Most often, but not always. An 11-year study of a thousand women was presented by teams from Lille CHRU (University Regional Hospital) at the ALFEDIAM Diabetes Congress held recently in Strasbourg. And the results raised concerns among many Congress participants.

And with good reason: for the first time, the Diagest study has shown that 30% of women who present with diabetes of pregnancy will fall victim to type 2 diabetes within the 6 years following the birth. And after 11 years, this percentage rises to over 42%!

“These figures show that these women need to be monitored (with particular care) after giving birth”, warns Professor Michel Pinget, head of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic diseases at Strasbourg University Hospitals. “The problem is that at present they drop off the radar”. But that’s not all. “They must also make sure they have a healthy lifestyle by eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking regular exercise”.

Source : From our special correspondent at the 35th Congress of the French Language Association for the Study of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (ALFEDIAM), 17-20 March 2009, Strasbourg.

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