This Friday, on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, the UN highlights the impact of the disease on pregnancy, in line with this year’s global theme, managing diabetes “at all stages of life”.
The organization also launched its first-ever global guidelines on how to manage diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.
“These guidelines are grounded in the realities of women’s lives and health needs, and provide clear, evidence-based strategies for providing high-quality care to every woman, everywhere,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who heads the United Nations’ World Health Organization (WHO).
The guide aims to support the 21 million pregnancies affected by diabetes each year, by providing recommendations that recognize the changing risks of diabetes throughout the lifespan.
Why it matters
Diabetes now affects more than 800 million people worldwide – and around half are undiagnosed, according to the new WHO report.
It is a major cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. Its impact is growing most rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, where access to essential care and medicines is often limited.
This year’s World Diabetes Day message highlights the importance of improving diabetes care across the lifespan, starting even before pregnancy and continuing through early childhood and adulthood.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when the body fails to properly regulate blood sugar levels.
• Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95 percent of cases and is associated with being overweight, insufficient physical activity and genetics, according to the WHO.
• The causes of type 1 diabetes remain unknown and affected individuals require lifelong insulin treatment.
• The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing worldwide for decades, putting increasing pressure on health systems.
Pregnancy: a critical window
Diabetes in pregnancy may be pre-existing or first detected during pregnancy.
Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes after delivery.
This condition increases the risk of life-threatening complications, including pre-eclampsia and other hypertensive disorders.
Babies face higher risks of stillbirth, seizures and birth defects. Children born after a pregnancy complicated by diabetes are more likely to develop obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life.
What the WHO recommends
The WHO Global Compact on Diabetes offers tools to improve prevention and care worldwide.
The recently launched pregnancy guidelines contain 27 recommendations, including:
• Adopt a diet low in added sugars, with carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes.
• At least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, including resistance training.
• Regular blood sugar monitoring
• Routine ultrasounds before and after 24 weeks
• Appropriate medical treatment
