Nutrition and Weight Recommendations for Treating Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

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Abstract

With the rise in obesity among women of reproductive age, the prevalence of GDM has increased. When a woman is diagnosed with GDM, she is immediately scheduled for an appointment with a registered dietitian to develop an individualized food plan for achieving and maintaining control of her blood glucose concentrations. Thus, medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is the cornerstone for treating GDM; insulin and/or oral hypoglycemic therapy is initiated if MNT fails to establish good glycemic control. Although diet therapy is the basis of GDM treatment, specific dietary guidelines for managing the disease are lacking due to the absence of large-scale, randomized controlled trials of dietary patterns varying in energy and the amount and type of carbohydrate and fat. Observational studies suggest that a modest energy restriction (∼30% less than recommended levels, or about 1600-1800 kcal/d) along with a diet high in complex carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids may improve glucose tolerance. No weight gain standards have been proposed specifically for women with GDM. Instead, the women are advised to gain within the Institute of Medicine (IOM) ranges for their body mass index. Since glycemic control improves in nonpregnant individuals with weight loss, it has been suggested that weight maintenance or a modest loss may improve outcomes in obese women with GDM. Additional research on limited gestational weight change and glycemic control is needed. Presently, in the short-term, individualized dietary counseling aimed at following a healthy diet pattern based on cultural food preferences is the foundation for improving pregnancy outcome among women with GDM. Adopting a healthy diet also reduces prevalence of maternal and child co-morbidities in the long-term.

Keywords

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Obese Woman Gestational Weight Gain Maternal Weight Gain Pregnancy Weight Gain 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer London 2010

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Children’s Hospital Oakland Research InstituteOaklandUSA

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