A new study has revealed that women who have reported feeling signs of depression during the early part of their pregnancy could be prone to developing gestational diabetes.
The study was conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Live Science reported. In comparison to those who did not report symptoms of depression early in their pregnancy, those who did were found to have gestational diabetes.
The findings revealed "depression and gestational diabetes may occur together," Stefanie Hinkle, Health Researcher at the NICHD and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Furthermore, the scientists found that having gestational diabetes could increase the risk of developing depression later on in pregnancy. The study has been published in the Diabetologia journal.
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. When an individual develops diabetes, the body is unable to control blood-sugar levels. The dangers of this condition during pregnancy is that diabetes can put both the mother and baby at risk.
The researchers behind the study considered data from more than 2,000 women who were enrolled in the NICHD Fetal Growth Studies program. The long-term study tracked the women's health and the health of their babies, during and after the pregnancy.
Diabetes during pregnancy could lead to further complications of high blood-pressure called preeclampsia. In some instances, preeclampsia can be life-threatening. In other conditions owing to diabetes, babies can grow too large within the uterus, making birth difficult.
According to the study, more than nine percent of the women in the United States are prone to developing gestational diabetes. The researchers also reported that postpartum depression was noted in almost 15 percent of new mothers within a year of giving birth.
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