Higher Gestational Diabetes Risk in Asian-White Couples?

Filed in archive Family Matters , Notable , Research on October 4, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Ronnie Comeau

Researchers from Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the university's School of Medicine have evidence that Asian-white couples run a higher risk of gestational diabetes and caesarian births, compared with white couples.

The researchers also found that Asian women whose partners are white are more likely than white women with Asian or white partners to have a caesarean delivery, as part of a broad analysis of perinatal outcomes among Asian, white and Asian-white couples.

Does this mean the Asian gene of women is to blame? Or the combination with the white male gene?

According to co-author Yasser El-Sayed, MD, a Packard Children's Hospital obstetrician and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the medical school:

"There's great heterogeneity in our country; there are people of many different races and backgrounds. Gaining better insight into the risks facing specific populations provides for better counseling and better prenatal care.

Asian- white couples "represent a population with distinct perinatal risks that differ depending upon which parent is of Asian race."

The findings will be published in the October issue of American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The researchers are hoping that the said findings will benefit clinicians and Ob-Gynes who are working with diverse patient population.

Read more from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.