Union Minister Jitendra Singh bats for prevention of diabetes in pregnancy

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Friday made a strong pitch for the prevention of diabetes in pregnancy to prevent the passing of the health condition to future generations.

Addressing the annual conference of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group of India (DIPSI), Singh said type-2 diabetes has already assumed epidemic proportions in the country which has achieved the dubious distinction of being the 'diabetes capital' of the world.

"In an alarming situation like this, unless we can effectively prevent the occurrence of diabetes in pregnant women, it may not be possible to break the chain of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus getting passed from generation to generation and thus affecting the future generations," he said.

Singh, a diabetologist, said a woman affected by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is likely to pass on to her progeny a higher preponderance to develop type-2 diabetes and that too at a relatively younger age.

Singh, a founder member of DIPSI, had a special word of appreciation for Dr V. Seshiah who devoted his life to this cause.

The Union minister said that nearly half a century ago, Seshiah and his team had recommended conducting a "spot test" for blood sugar in every pregnant woman and today a "single procedure test in pregnancy" developed by the same team has been accepted worldwide as reliable and effective for future management.

Seshiah has now moved on to primordial prevention of diabetes in pregnant women, Singh said, adding the success of this will help in controlling the epidemic of diabetes in India.