Funding outcome

Diabetes is a condition in which the blood sugar levels are too high. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a specific type of diabetes. It occurs during pregnancy and usually disappears after childbirth. Currently, GDM affects about 5% of pregnancies in Alberta. High blood sugar during pregnancy can cause problems to both mother and baby. The most frequent problem is that the baby can become too large. This may cause injuries to both the mother and the baby during delivery. The baby can also be at low blood sugar, jaundice, and needing neonatal intensive care support immediately after birth. Aside from the physical impacts, families are often also impacted emotionally. Being diagnosed with a medical condition is stressful. Managing GDM involves a lot of behaviour changes. Patients may need to adjust food and physical activity, frequently test blood sugar levels, and take pills or inject insulin. These changes can be hard to keep up and bear. One study even suggests that nearly 30% of patients with GDM have depression. This is a concerning discovery. Therefore, it is critical to provide better support to patients with GDM. To offer quality care, it is important to learn directly from patients what they need. Our project aims to address this gap in knowledge with GDM care. To accomplish this goal, we will conduct a systematic review. First, we will gather all research published on patients' experiences with GDM. This can include challenges they had within and outside of the medical setting, as well as their suggestions for improvements in health care services. We will then describe and analyze the findings to highlight the needs of patients. We hope our results will allow future research to better design programs and services that support patients diagnosed with GDM.