Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy but usually disappears after giving birth.
Gestational diabetes affects the pregnancy and the baby’s health
If not well controlled, it causes the baby’s blood sugar to be high. The baby grows extra-large causing discomfort to the woman during the last few months of pregnancy and serious health problems for the baby, including death.
According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, it affects at least four to five in 100 women during pregnancy.
Light exposure before bedtime linked to gestational diabetes
Researchers from Northwestern University in the US believe that exposure to light at night disrupts the body’s internal clock. It impacts the regulation of blood sugar levels by suppressing levels of a hormone called melatonin.
Women exposed to bright light are five times more likely to develop this condition
Scientists are advising pregnant women to dim the lights in their homes and limit their use of computer monitors, TV, and smartphone screens for three hours before bedtime to reduce the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Growing evidence suggests bright light exposure prior to sleep may be linked to impaired glucose regulation in non-pregnant adults as well.
