The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Screening of pregnant women for diabetes may be made mandatory

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 17, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Screening of pregnant women for diabetes may be made mandatory

Special Correspondent

Proposal to be placed before Chief Minster for clearance

IN RECOGNITION: Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran presents the Dr.V. Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute Gold Medal Oration award to Prof. Moshe Hod, in Chennai on Saturday. (From left) V. Seshiah, director of the Institute, Social We lfare Minister Poongothai and V. Balaji, consultant diabetologist, are also in the picture. — Photo: M. Vedhan

CHENNAI: The Government will consider a suggestion to make blood sugar screening mandatory for pregnant women, Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran said here on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion of the Dr.V.Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute Gold Medal Oration, he said the proposal would be sent to the Chief Minster for clearance.

The State was aware of the importance of introducing universal screening for pregnant women in all government hospitals, he said, reacting to a suggestion from eminent diabetologist and director of the institute V.Seshaiah. He also released a handbook on diabetes mellitus and handed over the first copy to Social Welfare Minister Poongothai.

Benefits of counselling

She said as a believer in preventive health care, her top priority would be to educate the public about the benefits of pre-conception counselling.

"Every Indian woman, prior to embarking on pregnancy, should ensure that she is not anaemic and not at the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy." This, she said, would reduce the number of women dying or developing complications during pregnancy.

A gynaecologist by profession, the Minister threw in her vote for universal mandatory screening of pregnant women for gestational diabetes.

Delivering the oration on `gestational diabetes mellitus - the current perspective,' Prof. Moshe Hod, director, perinatal division, WHO collaborating centre for Perinatal Care, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Israel, stressed on the need to diagnose GDM early and control it.

Perinatal complications

Diabetes is the leading cause of perinatal complications both for the mother and the baby, Prof. Hod said.

It influences, among other things, mortality, obesity and long-term complications. "Pregnancy is crucial. If we want to prevent the occurrence of diabetes mellitus, then we have to interfere at the stage of GDM."

He suggested that governments look at pre-conception control and improved glycaemic management in order.

V.Balaji, consultant diabetologist, Dr.V.Seshiah Diabetes Care and Research Institute, made a presentation on the research activities of the Institute, emphasising the pioneering work done in the area of GDM.

The prevalence of GDM in the population was increasing rapidly over the years: What was 2 per cent in the 1980s rose to 7.62 per cent in the next decade and jumped to 16.55 per cent in the 2000s. Preliminary results of an ongoing study indicated that the urban prevalence of GDM was as high as 17.8 per cent.

Madhuri S.Balaji, consultant diabetologist at the Institute, spoke.

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