Low First Trimester Vitamin D Increases Risk of Gestational Diabetes. by Ralph Teller

Gestational Diabetes during Pregnancy increases health risks to Mother and Infant

Women with lower serum levels of Vitamin D during the first trimester of pregnancy are at significantly greater risk for developing Gestational Diabetes mellitus (GDM) later in pregnancy. The study found that low levels of Vitamin D can increase the risk of women developing Gestational Diabetes by over 40%.

The development of Gestational Diabetes during pregancy carries health risk for both the mother and the child.

For the study, women aged 18 years or older who were in their 6th to 13th week of pregnancy and in good health were recruited from the Sherbrooke, England area, which lies at about 45 degrees north latitude and gets relatively less sun exposure than more southerly locations.

The best way to to keep your Vitamin D levels up is to sit or take a walk in the sun during the middle of the day. The Sun provides over 90% of our Vitamin D. Our body's absorption of energy from sun to create Vitamin D is one of the many wonders of the human body. This Vitamin D synthesis begins with our skin absorbing photons from UVB rays of the sun. For more information regarding Vitamin D and Vitamin D synthesis see Vitamin D Synthesis and Health Benefits.

If you develop Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy, it is helpful after birth to nurse your baby. There's evidence that breastfeeding has a positive effect on glucose metabolism and may help prevent childhood obesity and decrease your child's risk of diabetes, among other things. Breast feeding also helps the mothers lose the excess weight gained during pregnancy.

The study was conducted by Marilyn Lacroix, a master's degree candidate from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec, Canada. She reported the results at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 48th Annual Meeting in Berlin, Deutschland.

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