ABU DHABI // All pregnant women who attend the Corniche Hospital are to be screened for gestational diabetes because the disease is becoming more prevalent.
Although there are no figures for the prevalence of the blood sugar disorder, which occurs only in pregnant women, doctors say patient numbers are on the increase.
"I'm surprised by the number of pregnant ladies who come to me with diabetes," said Dr Prakash Pania, a specialist endocrinologist at Aster Medical Centre in Dubai. "I'm almost running a parallel antenatal clinic in the morning for pregnancies with gestational diabetes."
Dr Pania follows strict screening guidelines issued by the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups.
"The more stringent you are in the diagnostic criteria, the more patients you pick up," he said.
The Corniche Hospital plans to introduce screening for all pregnant women - whether they are at risk or not - as a means of controlling the condition from an early stage.
Dr Gowri Ramanathan, a foetal medicine specialist and consultant obstetric gynaecologist, said: "We're moving towards having universal screening for all our pregnant women only because diabetes is very prevalent."
The symptoms of gestational diabetes - frequent urination, lethargy, and excessive thirst - are also symptomatic of a normal pregnancy, making the condition difficult to diagnose. However, left untreated, it can lead to severe birth defects.
"If diabetes goes undiagnosed, or if a diabetic lady conceives with uncontrolled blood sugar, then we can expect some congenital anomalies in the baby such as birth defects, spinal cord defects, and certain organs may not be well developed," said Dr Pania.
Women with high blood sugar levels may also have larger babies, which can complicate delivery.
"Most of the time gynaecologists don't wait for the full 40 weeks; they deliver at maybe 38 weeks by c-section," Dr Pania added.
Dr Ramanathan said every pregnant woman was at risk of contracting gestational diabetes, but factors that increased the risk included being overweight, having a history of diabetes in the family, and having previously given birth to a large baby.
The condition can be managed, predominately through diet.
The dietician Lubna Surya said that, contrary to the popular saying, pregnant woman should not be eating for two. Women participating in an average amount of activity require about 1,800 calories a day. This amount is also sufficient for women in their first trimester, she said.
Women in their second and third trimester needed to add 300 and 450 calories per day, respectively.
While the blood sugar levels of most women return to normal immediately after delivery, further monitoring is required.
Patients should be checked six weeks after the birth of their child, and then on an annual basis thereafter, said Dr Pania.
"They could be potential diabetics in the future."
zalhassani@thenational.ae
Profile Idealz
Company: Idealz
Founded: January 2018
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Size: (employees): 22
Investors: Co-founders and Venture Partners (9 per cent)
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
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4. Shahada
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Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
T10 Cricket League
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
December 14- 17
6pm, Opening ceremony, followed by:
Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons
Tickets available online at q-tickets.com/t10
Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
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