Mumbai: 9,621 pregnant women detected with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in past 5 years

Diabetes induced by pregnancy or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is on the rise among women in the city with a 170 per cent increase in the past five years. Health experts emphasised on the need to screen women before and during pregnancy for early detection to minimise its impact on the mother as well as the baby. As per BMC health department data, a total of 998 pregnant women were detected with GDM from April 2017 to March 2018.

GDM is a condition in which a hormone made by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin effectively, leading to the build up of glucose in the blood.

Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology from HN Reliance Hospital Dr Rekha Davar said, "GDM is not a new issue, it was there for many years. But now doctors prescribe testing early on, increasing the rate of detection. If GDM is not detected early there is a chance of congenital anomalies. So patients need to keep a tab on their blood sugar level before planning pregnancy and doctors must keep a tab during the pregnancy. Once detected, it is manageable with medication and a diet plan. Though it is pregnancy-induced diabetes and reversible after pregnancy, the mother has to keep a tab on her sugar level even after delivery as there is a chance of getting diabetes in the future."

Doctors advised women to check blood sugar level before planning pregnancy as well as during it. Representation pic

As per BMC data, in the past 5 years, 9,621 pregnant women were detected with GDM and 4,822 or 50 per cent of them were given insulin. "Insulin works better than oral medication in GDM," added Dr Davar.

Dr Ashok Anand, head of department, Obstetrics & Gynaecology at JJ hospital, said, "The number of diabetic patients in India is growing at a rapid pace. It becomes important for women to go through a sugar test before planning for pregnancy. And after conceiving, doctors must do sugar screening initially, then at 25 weeks, and finally at 36 weeks of pregnancy."

Dr Gayatri Deshpande, senior obstetrics and gynaecologist at Nanavati Hospital, said, "The majority of women have a very high Body Mass Index at the start of pregnancy, which results in excess weight gain and increased chances of diabetes. Secondly, several women who have a family history of insulin resistance and PCOD, have high chances of GDM. Women need to maintain a healthy BMI rate and exercise during the pre-pregnancy period."

2,785
No. of women diagnosed with GDM from April 2021 to Feb 2022

4,822
No. of GDM patients who were given insulin