January 7, 2003
Gestational Diabetes
Question from Dallas, Texas, USA:
My sister, who is 28 weeks pregnant with her first child, was diagnosed with gestational diabetes yesterday, and the dietitian she met with told her that she could have 230 grams of carb per day which seems awfully high to me. (I have been on the Atkins diet for quite awhile, and that’s over four times my daily intake). I just want to make sure she is getting good advice.
Answer:
The dietary recommendations for gestational diabetes are to favor the amount of complex carbohydrates and proteins and reduce the amounts of fat that are consumed. The actual amounts will vary depending on the patient’s size and anticipated caloric needs to achieve adequate weight gain during the pregnancy. This will be adjusted further depending on her blood sugar values before and after meals. Thus, I would trust the diettian’s recommendations.
OWJ
