Gestational diabetes affects nearly 1 in 10 pregnancies and can raise serious health risks for both mom and baby. But new research suggests that changes in gut bacteria during early pregnancy might provide a powerful warning sign — before traditional tests can catch it.
In a recent study published in Microbiology Spectrum, researchers in Guangzhou, China, found that specific patterns in the gut microbiome during the first trimester were strongly linked to the later development of gestational diabetes. These findings could lead to earlier, noninvasive screening and open up new ways to personalize care during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is typically diagnosed between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy, but by then, complications like gestational hypertension, cesarean delivery or increased fetal size may already be developing. The new study analyzed stool samples from 61 women in their first trimester and compared the results to blood glucose levels and birth outcomes later in pregnancy.
The women who developed gestational diabetes showed distinct differences in their gut microbiota compared to those with healthy pregnancies. Using these differences, the researchers developed a genus-level diagnostic model with high predictive accuracy.
“These findings suggest that microbiota-based tools could enable early, non-invasive detection of gestational diabetes mellitus, offering new opportunities for prevention and personalized management,” the authors wrote. “This research highlights the role of the gut microbiome in pregnancy and has important implications for improving maternal and fetal health outcomes.”
While more research is needed to validate these results in larger and more diverse populations, the study adds to growing interest in how the gut microbiome may influence pregnancy outcomes — and how it could be harnessed to improve them.
This study was supported by the Zhangzhou Natural Science Foundation.