CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian has announced the launch of a pilot study that can help in preventing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) in pregnant women by providing early intervention.
The minister made the announcement, while addressing mediapersons at an event marking World Diabetes Day on Friday in Chennai.
According to the health department officials, the study will identify 200 pregnant women who have early gestational glucose intolerance (ECGI) and provide them Metformin — the first line drug for controlling sugar levels — to see if it prevents them from developing GDM.
Officials said that if GDM is prevented, the risk of newborns being overweight can also be prevented as uncontrolled sugar levels can affect the foetus, leading to overweight at birth.
As many as 10 interventional blocks, 10 non-interventional blocks and six urban zones across Tamil Nadu have been chosen for this study, which was piloted under the National Health Mission.
In the interventional blocks, the pregnant women will be given 75 ml of glucose two hours after food and their glucose tolerance will be tested to see if they have ECGI. This will be done in the eighth week of pregnancy, before the foetus start secreting insulin around the 11th week of pregnancy.
“We want to intervene before that. We will see if the mother’s pancreas has sugar tolerance. If their sugar level is above 119 milligrams per deciliter after this test, they will be administered Metformin. After the results, the study will be expanded to other districts” an official added.
In the non-interventional districts also, the mothers will be followed up without any intervention for the study, the official added.
Further, Ma Subramanian said the state will also expand type 1 diabetes centres for children in Tiruvarur, Namakkal and Chidambaram districts, and will subsequently expand it to all other districts in a phased manner.
Under ‘Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam’ scheme, 58.53 lakh people have been identified with diabetes mellitus since the launch of the scheme in 2021, he added.