This project took place at our London centre which operated between 1995 and 2021.
Why do we need this research?
Being obese can increase a woman’s chances of being diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy, which is known as gestational diabetes. This can have a negative impact on the health of both mother and baby. We need to understand how best to help obese pregnant women minimise these risks so that can give birth to a healthy baby.
What happened in this project?
During the UPBEAT study, more than 1,500 obese pregnant women were encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles to see if this could help them reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy. Some of these women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes at the beginning of their third trimester, while others were not. After the study, our researchers wanted to find out whether the diagnosis of gestational diabetes had any effect on whether the women adopted healthier lifestyles during their third trimester.
After re-analysing the data from UPBEAT, our researchers found that, on average, the obese women who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes went on to gain less weight and adopted a healthier diet than the women who did not have gestational diabetes. The women who did not have gestational diabetes continued to gain weight, but their diet did not get worse over time.
What difference will this project make?
The results of this study suggest that a diagnosis of gestational diabetes makes women more likely to adopt healthier lifestyles. Our researchers are now interested in finding out why women who are not diagnosed do not change their lifestyle as readily, and what can be done to help them. Ultimately, this work could help us understand how best to help obese women increase their chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby.
