- Gestational diabetes occurs if a woman’s body lacks insulin production
- Warmer weather could be responsible for increased rates of the condition
- Seasonal frequency from 3.3 per cent in spring to 5.5 per cent in summer
- Temperature changes may affect the composition of blood for testing
Stephen Matthews For Mailonline
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Rates of gestational diabetes in pregnant women peak during the summer months, new research claims.
Increasing temperature could be responsible for more cases of the form of the high blood sugar condition that usually occurs in the second half of pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes occurs if a woman’s body can’t produce enough insulin to meet the extra needed in pregnancy.
However, it usually disappears after giving birth.
But it can have serious consequences for mother and child, including raising the odds of a caesarean section, birth defects and stillbirths.
Both woman and child are also at higher risk of developing full-blown diabetes in later life.
Gestational diabetes occurs if a woman’s body can’t produce enough insulin to meet the extra needed in pregnancy
The new research found expectant mothers are 51 per cent more likely to develop the condition during June, July and August compared to the winter months, scientists found.
Researchers from Lund University, Sweden, gave 11,538 a standard oral glucose tolerance test in the 28th week of pregnancy.
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Results from the three-year study period were grouped together into months and seasons with statistical modelling used to calculate the differences.
A total of 487 women were diagnosed with the condition during the study period.
The monthly frequency of gestational diabetes ranged from 2.9 per cent in March to 5.8 per cent in June.
Increasing temperature could be responsible for more cases of the form of the high blood sugar condition that occurs in pregnancy, researchers from Lund University, Sweden, found
The seasonal frequency ranged from 3.3 per cent in spring to 5.5 per cent in summer.
Mean monthly temperature ranged from -0.6C in the winter to 17.7C in the summer.
Blood glucose levels increased by 0.009 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) for every degree increase in temperature.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY TRIGGERED IN PREGNANCY
Childhood obesity begins in the womb and could be triggered by the mother’s high blood sugar levels, scientists previously warned.
They found babies born to women with a very common form of temporary diabetes which occurs in pregnancy gain weight very early on in life.
Researchers from Imperial College London found even aged just ten weeks old, these newborns had 16 per cent more body fat than other infants.
The team said possible explanations included changes to the baby’s metabolism while in the womb, or differences in the composition of breast milk among women with diabetes.
This corresponded in a difference of 0.16 mmol/L between winter and summer.
Dr Anastasia Katsarou, of Lund University, said: ‘Our findings suggest seasonal variations in the two hour glucose concentration and in the proportion of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes with a peak in the summer.
‘A positive association with the ambient temperature was demonstrated.’
However she said further research is needed to explore the significance of their findings.
She added temperature-induced changes in the blood flow in arms, legs, hands and feet may affect the composition of capillary blood.
This may explain the increased glucose levels during the warmer summer months.
Some previous studies of type 1 diabetes have shown higher winter incidence associated with higher circulating virus levels and lower vitamin D status.
But less is known about the seasonality in the diagnosis of type 2 and gestational forms.
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