Can sweet cravings increase the risk of gestational diabetes?

According to statistics, 1 out of 7 pregnant women experience gestational diabetes, this risk is even higher in pregnant women who crave sweets during pregnancy. Studies show that a low-sweet diet reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in pregnant women.

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), gestational diabetes (or gestational diabetes) is a state of glucose intolerance of any degree, with onset or first detected. first during pregnancy. This condition often has no symptoms, so it is difficult to detect and will disappear after 6 weeks from birth.
Gestational diabetes is a common disease, common during pregnancy. The cause of the disease is because during this period, the mother's body has hormonal changes that reduce the effectiveness of insulin produced. These hormones are also a signal that stimulates nutrients from the mother's body to be transmitted to the fetus, which is also the reason why pregnant women crave foods high in sugar.

Gestational diabetes makes pregnant women face risks such as polyhydramnios, premature birth, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage ... For the fetus, gestational diabetes will increases the rate of birth defects, the fetus is prone to growth disorders (too large or too small). Even, the fetus may die suddenly due to high blood sugar without any any sign.

Many pregnant women have a healthy, scientific diet before pregnancy, but during pregnancy, pregnant mothers have sweet mornings and consume a lot of high-sugar foods, if pregnant women cannot control their emotions. Sweet cravings, as well as not being given specific advice on appropriate nutrition, are very easy to get gestational diabetes.
Consuming a lot of sweets or carbohydrates can affect the development of the fetus. At the same time, excess blood sugar due to uncontrolled gestational diabetes or type 2 diabetes will cause the above dangerous complications.
Excess sugar will cross the placenta and increase blood sugar in the fetus. As a result, the baby will have to increase insulin secretion, a hormone that regulates sugar in the body, causing the baby to grow larger. As a result, the delivery process may also experience more complications.

To prevent gestational diabetes, a low-sugar, fat-reducing diet is essential. Studies show that a low-sweet diet reduces the risk of gestational diabetes in pregnant women.
Limiting sugar does not mean completely not using sugar in your diet, instead pregnant women should replace refined sugar in candy, cakes or soft drinks with more beneficial foods such as cereals, fruits and vegetables. Vegetables contain natural sugars. Pregnant women can also follow basic principles such as: Split meals, choose starchy sources of fiber, prioritize healthy fats, eat more green vegetables, milk and dairy products, Ensure adequate protein content in the daily diet.
Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Package Maternity Care Program for pregnant women right from the first months of pregnancy with a full range of antenatal care visits, periodical 3D and 4D ultrasounds and routine tests to ensure that the mother is healthy and the fetus is developing comprehensively. In addition to regular check-ups, pregnant women will also be advised on nutrition and exercise so that the mother can gain weight reasonably while the fetus still absorbs nutrients well.