Sugary cola alert on pregnancy

A study published in Diabetes Care analysed data on 13,475 women who were pregnant in a 10-year span, including 860 who developed gestational diabetes.

Women who reported drinking the most sugar-sweetened colas before becoming pregnant (more than five servings a week) were 22 per cent more likely to develop gestational diabetes than women who drank the fewest sugar-sweetened colas (less than one serving a month). No increased risk was detected in case of drinking diet beverages or other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Gestational diabetes occurs when glucose (sugar) levels in the blood become too high.

It can cause complications during pregnancy and delivery, including babies that are too large or have respiratory problems, and can lead to diabetes later in life for both mother and child.

The data was collected from the women's answers on questionnaires but information was not collected during pregnancy, when diet changes might have occurred.

Nearly all the women were nurses, who might have been healthier than average.

For information on gestational diabetes, visit www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov and www.acog.org