GESTATIONAL DIABETES - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY OF WOMENS EXPERIENCE OF PREGNANCY, HEALTH AND THE CHILD

Women with previous gestational diabetes (n = 113) and controls (n = 226) were studied retrospectively by means of questionnaires. Women with gestational diabetes reported less well-being (p<0.05), psychic health (p<0.001) and vigour (p<0.001) during pregnancy and a less positive experience of pregnancy (p<0.001) than controls. They also recalled more worry about health during pregnancy than controls (p<0.001), reported more physical health problems (p<0.05), more worry about health (p<0.05) and kept to a diet more often after pregnancy (women with gestational diabetes 34%, controls 13%, p<0.001). Although most of the women in the groups were not troubled, it was clear that the gestational diabetes influenced their experience of health negatively but motivated them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Initial treatment with insulin seemed to be slightly more stressful than diet only.