Abstract
BackgroundThe study aimed to evaluate whether exercise intervention can be applied to pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) for controlling gestational weight gain (GWG) and combating GDM-related outcomes.MethodsRetrospective six months analysis of 14,168 single pregnant women without diabetes from 15 hospitals in Beijing in 2013. Each participant’s demographic data, interventions condition and medical information were collected individually by questionnaires and relying on medical records. The level of statistical significance was set equal to 0.05.Results2750 (19.4 %) pregnant women were diagnosed with GDM, 74.9 % of them received exercise intervention during pregnancy, and the starting time was 25.8 ± 3.7 gestational weeks. Women with GDM with exercise intervention (GDM-E) had the lowest BMI increase during late and mid-pregnancy than women with GDM without exercise intervention (GDM-nE) (2.05 ± 1.32 kg/m2 vs. 2.40 ± 1.30 kg/m2, p < 0.01) and non-GDM women (2.05 ± 1.32 kg/m2 vs. 2.77 ± 1.21 kg/m2, p < 0.01). Moreover, GDM-E group experienced a significantly lower risk of preterm birth (5.58 % vs. 7.98 %, p < 0.001), low birth weight (1.03 % vs. 2.06 %, p < 0.001) and macrosomia (9.51 % vs. 11.18 %, p > 0.05) than GDM-nE group. After including dietary factors in the analysis, women with GDM without either dietary or exercise intervention (GDM-nDnE) had the highest risk of preterm birth(OR = 1.64, 95 % CI, 1.14–2.36), while women with GDM with dietary intervention only (GDM-DnE) had the highest risk of low birth weight (OR = 3.10, 95 % CI, 1.23–7.81). However, women with GDM with both dietary and exercise intervention had the lowest rate of macrosomia.ConclusionExercise intervention is a suitable non-invasive therapeutic option that can be readily applied to manage weight gain and improve pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM.
Highlights
The study aimed to evaluate whether exercise intervention can be applied to pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) for controlling gestational weight gain (GWG) and combating GDM-related outcomes
Women in our study were excluded for the following reasons: pre-existing diabetes, multiple births, and missing data on major items, such as 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, birth weight, gestational age, delivery mode and whether women with GDM had exercise or dietary intervention during pregnancy
The majority of the participants included in our study were between 22 and 35 years of age (89.8 %), and most had at least a high school education (81.7 %)
Summary
The study aimed to evaluate whether exercise intervention can be applied to pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) for controlling gestational weight gain (GWG) and combating GDM-related outcomes. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication of pregnancy. A higher body mass index (BMI) before or in the first trimester of pregnancy and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) during early and mid-pregnancy are both considered prominent early markers of GDM [2]. In women with both high pre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG, the risk of GDM increases by 2.2–5.9-fold [3]. Excessive GWG is one GDM-related complication [4]. Pregnancy-related weight problems must be addressed and be paid adequate attention
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
