‘Poor sleep a diabetes risk in pregnancy’

Poor or insufficient sleep can raise the risk of pregnant women developing gestational diabetes, researchers in Singapore said in a study published in the journal SLEEP.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common health problem during pregnancy, and is diagnosed by high blood glucose levels, the study explained. Elevated blood glucose levels can result in a number of complications, including premature birth, obstructed labor, high blood pressure for mothers and blood pressure-related trauma for infants, and increased risk of maternal or fetal death, it added.