Pre-Pregnancy Diabetes Rates Double in U.S.

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(NaturalNews) The rate of pre-existing diabetes among women in the United States who become pregnant doubled between 1999 and 2005, according to a study conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente and published in the journal Diabetes Care. The increase was even larger among teenagers.

"Having diabetes during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage early in pregnancy and the risk of stillbirth later in pregnancy," study author Jean Lawrence said. "It also increases the chances of having a baby with birth defects, and it may result in larger babies and more difficult deliveries."

Researchers examined diabetes rates among 175,429 women who gave birth at one of 11 Kaiser Permanente hospitals between 1999 and 2005. Diabetes was classified either as pre-existing - either Type 1 or Type 2 - or gestational.

Gestational diabetes refers to diabetes that develops during pregnancy and usually ends after birth. In 1999, gestational diabetes accounted for 90 percent of all diabetic pregnancies; by 2005, this percentage had dropped to 79 percent.

In the same time period, the rate of pre-existing diabetes among pregnant women went from 0.81 percent to 1.82 percent, an increase of more than 100 percent. Rates of gestational diabetes, however, remained approximately steady at 7.5 percent.

The increase in pre-existing diabetes was highest among black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific women. It increased fivefold among teenagers; in contrast, the rate among women over the age of 40 increased by only 40 percent.

Researchers believe that much of the increase is attributable to rising Type 2 diabetes rates in general due to an epidemic of obesity.

"It's important to recognize with the increase in overweight and obesity, more women than ever will be entering their reproductive years with diabetes," Lawrence said.

She advised women to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes by eating a healthy diet and exercising to maintain a healthy body weight.

Sources for this story include: www.washingtonpost.com.

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