Dietary approaches to managing diabetes in pregnancy
type: CreativeWork
description: Approximately one in six pregnancies worldwide are affected by diabetes, including both pre-existing diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which is first recognised during pregnancy and resolves after delivery. Suboptimal management of hyperglycaemia increases the risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, excessive fetal growth, birth injuries, neonatal hypoglycaemia, and long-term future risk of type 2 diabetes. Diet and lifestyle modifications are the cornerstone of diabetes management, particularly for GDM, yet current recommendations lack specificity and a robust evidence-base. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the interplay between maternal diet, glycaemia and weight gain in women with diabetes in pregnancy. This thesis comprises four distinct projects. Firstly, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between dietary fibre and glycaemic control in women with diabetes in pregnancy. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression explored sources of heterogeneity. Second, a prospective observational study investigated dietary and physical activity patterns of women with one or more risk factor for GDM. Data were collected using a 24-hour diet recall (Intake24) and Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ), and associations were assessed with maternal characteristics and glucose outcomes from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Third, the Dietary Intervention in Gestational Diabetes (DiGest) trial; a randomised, double-blind, whole-diet intervention study evaluated the effect of a reduced-energy diet (1200kcal vs 2000kcal) on maternal weight change and infant birthweight in women with GDM, alongside other key maternal and neonatal outcomes. Finally, a cross-sectional secondary analysis of this trial cohort explored associations between baseline dietary and physical activity patterns and glycaemic control, measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The analysis also assessed trial adherence and examine…
abstract: Approximately one in six pregnancies worldwide are affected by diabetes, including both pre-existing diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which is first recognised during pregnancy and resolves after delivery. Suboptimal management of hyperglycaemia increases the risk of pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, excessive fetal growth, birth injuries, neonatal hypoglycaemia, and long-term future risk of type 2 diabetes. Diet and lifestyle modifications are the cornerstone of diabetes management, particularly for GDM, yet current recommendations lack specificity and a robust evidence-base. The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the interplay between maternal diet, glycaemia and weight gain in women with diabetes in pregnancy. This thesis comprises four distinct projects. Firstly, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between dietary fibre and glycaemic control in women with diabetes in pregnancy. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression explored sources of heterogeneity. Second, a prospective observational study investigated dietary and physical activity patterns of women with one or more risk factor for GDM. Data were collected using a 24-hour diet recall (Intake24) and Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ), and associations were assessed with maternal characteristics and glucose outcomes from an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Third, the Dietary Intervention in Gestational Diabetes (DiGest) trial; a randomised, double-blind, whole-diet intervention study evaluated the effect of a reduced-energy diet (1200kcal vs 2000kcal) on maternal weight change and infant birthweight in women with GDM, alongside other key maternal and neonatal outcomes. Finally, a cross-sectional secondary analysis of this trial cohort explored associations between baseline dietary and physical activity patterns and glycaemic control, measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The analysis also assessed trial adherence and examine…
author: Jones, Danielle
keywords: diabetes in pregnancy, dietary intervention, maternal glycaemia, continuous glucose monitoring
license: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/e31d95c0-62be-46df-89a7-87042801ac29/download
license: http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
date published: 2025-04-16
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:53Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.120351