Researchers in Taiwan studied 106 pregnant women with diabetes to see if talking with a nutrition expert could help them eat better and control their blood sugar. Women who received nutrition counseling ate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and their blood sugar levels improved significantly. However, the counseling didn’t change how much weight they gained during pregnancy or reduce complications like early birth or larger babies. The study suggests that nutrition counseling is valuable for helping pregnant women with diabetes manage their diet and blood sugar, but more research is needed to see if it prevents pregnancy complications.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether meeting with a nutrition expert helps pregnant women with diabetes eat better and control their blood sugar levels
  • Who participated: 106 pregnant women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes in Taiwan; 48 received nutrition counseling and 58 did not
  • Key finding: Women who received nutrition counseling ate significantly more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and their blood sugar levels (fasting glucose and HbA1c) dropped noticeably. Those who had multiple counseling sessions saw the biggest improvements.
  • What it means for you: If you’re pregnant with diabetes, talking to a nutrition expert may help you eat healthier foods and keep your blood sugar more stable. However, this study didn’t show that counseling prevented pregnancy complications, so it’s one helpful tool among many in your care plan.

The Research Details

This was a retrospective study, meaning researchers looked back at medical records from 2012 to 2022 at a large hospital in Taiwan. They compared two groups of pregnant women with diabetes: one group (48 women) who received nutrition counseling from a specialist, and another group (58 women) who did not receive this counseling. The researchers examined what these women ate, their blood sugar measurements, how much weight they gained, and what happened with their pregnancies and babies.

The nutrition counseling involved meeting with a nutrition expert who gave personalized advice about what to eat. The researchers tracked dietary records, blood glucose levels, and pregnancy outcomes for both groups. This type of study is useful because it uses real-world data from actual patient care, but it can’t prove that counseling directly caused the improvements because the groups weren’t randomly assigned.

This research approach is important because it shows what actually happens in a real hospital setting rather than in a controlled research environment. By comparing women who received counseling to those who didn’t, researchers could see if the counseling made a practical difference in how women ate and managed their blood sugar during pregnancy.

This study has some strengths: it included a reasonable number of participants and looked at actual medical records, which are reliable. However, it has limitations: it’s a retrospective study (looking backward), the groups weren’t randomly assigned, and it only included data from one hospital in Taiwan. The sample size is moderate, and some participants didn’t have complete blood sugar measurements before and after counseling, which limits what we can conclude about blood sugar improvements.

What the Results Show

Women who received nutrition counseling made significant changes to their diet. They ate much more fruits and whole grains, and their fiber intake increased substantially. Before counseling, 55% of women were eating less than the recommended amount of carbohydrates (175 grams per day), but after counseling, only 34% were eating too little. This shows that the counseling helped women understand better how much and what type of carbohydrates to eat.

Among the 24 women who had blood sugar measurements before and after counseling, the results were impressive. Their fasting blood sugar (the level when they first wake up) dropped significantly, and their HbA1c levels (which show average blood sugar over three months) also improved noticeably. Women who attended multiple counseling sessions saw even bigger improvements in their blood sugar control than those who attended just one session.

However, the counseling didn’t seem to affect other pregnancy outcomes. There were no significant differences between the counseling group and the non-counseling group in terms of how much weight women gained during pregnancy, how many babies were born early, or how many babies were larger than expected at birth.

The study found that the number of counseling sessions mattered. Women who received multiple nutrition counseling appointments had better improvements in blood sugar control compared to those who only attended one session. This suggests that ongoing support and reinforcement of healthy eating habits is more effective than a single conversation. The improvements in diet quality (eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) were consistent across the counseling group, showing that the nutrition advice was being followed.

Previous research has shown that nutrition counseling can help people with diabetes manage their condition, and this study confirms that finding in pregnant women specifically. However, most earlier studies focused on general diabetes management rather than pregnancy outcomes. This research adds to our understanding by showing that while nutrition counseling definitely improves eating habits and blood sugar control in pregnant women with diabetes, we still need larger studies to determine if these improvements actually prevent pregnancy complications.

Several important limitations should be considered. First, this was a retrospective study using medical records, so researchers couldn’t control for other factors that might affect outcomes. Second, the two groups (counseling and non-counseling) weren’t randomly assigned, meaning there could be differences between the groups that weren’t measured. Third, only 24 women had complete blood sugar measurements before and after counseling, which is a small number for drawing firm conclusions. Fourth, the study only included women from one hospital in Taiwan, so the results might not apply to other populations or countries. Finally, the study didn’t find improvements in pregnancy complications, which was the ultimate goal, so we can’t yet say that nutrition counseling prevents serious pregnancy problems.

The Bottom Line

If you’re pregnant with diabetes, nutrition counseling appears to be a helpful addition to your care plan. It can help you eat better and control your blood sugar more effectively, especially if you attend multiple sessions. However, this should be combined with other diabetes management strategies recommended by your doctor, such as blood sugar monitoring and possibly medication. The evidence is moderate strength for improving diet and blood sugar, but we don’t yet have strong evidence that it prevents pregnancy complications.

This research is most relevant for pregnant women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who want to improve their diet and blood sugar control. It may also interest healthcare providers who care for pregnant women with diabetes, as it supports adding nutrition counseling to standard prenatal care. However, this study doesn’t provide enough evidence yet to say that counseling prevents serious pregnancy problems, so it shouldn’t replace other important diabetes management strategies.

Based on this study, improvements in diet quality appeared relatively quickly after starting nutrition counseling. Blood sugar improvements were measured within the timeframe of the counseling sessions, suggesting that benefits can be seen within weeks to a few months. However, to see if these improvements prevent pregnancy complications, you would need to maintain these healthy eating habits throughout your pregnancy.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily carbohydrate intake (aiming for around 175 grams per day) and log servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Also record fasting blood sugar readings weekly to monitor trends over time.
  • Set a goal to add one new fruit or vegetable to your daily meals and swap one refined grain for a whole grain option each week. Use the app to log these changes and celebrate small wins to build momentum.
  • Create a weekly summary view showing carbohydrate intake, fiber consumption, and blood sugar trends. Compare month-to-month progress to identify patterns and adjust eating habits accordingly. Share reports with your healthcare provider during prenatal visits.

This research suggests that nutrition counseling may help pregnant women with diabetes improve their diet and blood sugar control, but it does not prove that counseling prevents pregnancy complications. If you are pregnant with diabetes, this information should not replace medical advice from your doctor or diabetes care team. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or diabetes management plan. This study was conducted in Taiwan and may not apply to all populations. Larger research studies are needed to confirm whether nutrition counseling prevents serious pregnancy outcomes.