Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Prevention

To prevent gestational diabetes (gestational diabetes mellitus), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

  • Diet
    • Micronutrient deficiency (vital substances) – see Prevention with micronutrients.
  • Overweight

Prevention factors (protective factors)

  • A meta-analysis demonstrated a 28% risk reduction for the development of gestational diabetes for pregnant women who engaged in physical activity.
  • Women with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 and gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy benefited from lifestyle intervention. The portion of women who participated in an intensive health program (individual counseling on nutrition and initiation of a physical activity) from the 20th week of pregnancy showed the following result: only 13.9 percent of women developed gestational diabetes, compared with 21.6 percent in the control group.