Weight gain during pregnancy 'ups gestational diabetes risk'

Washington, Feb 23 (ANI): Weight gain during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, could increase women's risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a new study.

The study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research appears online in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The three-year study of 1,145 pregnant women from an ethnically diverse population found that women who gained more weight than is recommended by the Institute of Medicine had a 50 percent increased risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus, also known as GDM.

The study included 345 pregnant women with gestational diabetes and 800 pregnant women without gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes is defined as glucose intolerance that typically occurs during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. It can lead to early delivery, C-sections and type 2 diabetes, and can increase the child's risk of developing diabetes and obesity later in life. (ANI)