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Karin Lyu

Many pregnant women in Hong Kong are eating too much salt and for some, this can lead to gestational diabetes, a Chinese University (CUHK) study has found.
Professor Ronald Ma Ching-wan, the university’s head of endocrinology and diabetes, said the women’s hectic lifestyles might be to blame.
“They may be resorting to instant or processed food, such as ramen, sausages or instant soup, to save time,” he said.
“A high level of sodium is often hidden in many condiments and processed food, and we assume that the excessive sodium intake of the respondents was likely associated with their frequent consumption of these foods and their tendency to eat out.”

He said one in five pregnant women in Hong Kong developed gestational diabetes, which refers to a high blood sugar level that develops during pregnancy.
The diabetes goes away soon after delivery. Generally it will not affect the baby’s health, but the infant can be 4kg or larger, making delivery harder.
Ma led a team of researchers who studied 156 Hong Kong Chinese pregnant women from September 2017 to April 2018. They released the results in September this year.
Hongkongers warned of health risks posed by high-salt cold cut meats
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily intake of less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium to prevent cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death globally.
But half the respondents in the CUHK study consumed around 4,000mg of sodium per day, double the WHO recommendation.
Ma linked this excessive sodium intake to the higher incidence of gestational diabetes in Hong Kong in recent years.
The study also found that almost all the women did not get enough fibre, which comes from eating vegetables, fruit and unpolished grain, among other foods. They absorbed only 13.9 grams of fibre a day, well below the WHO’s recommendation of 25 grams.
‘Ready to eat’ meals may put you at risk of premature death, study finds
Joanne Wong*, who was 29 when the survey was done, told the Post she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with her first child from 2017 to 2018.
She said she ate three meals with a lot of staple food such as noodle and rice, and dined out two or three times a week, consuming only 10 grams of fibre and more than 3,200mg of sodium daily.
Following her doctor’s advice, she cut down on oily food and began ordering unsweetened milk tea to reduce her sugar intake.
The result was that she avoided gestational diabetes during her second pregnancy from 2019 to 2020, and was pleasantly surprised.
Ma was aware of her condition, and was told by her doctor that she was lucky, because most women who developed the disease during their first pregnancy would not be able to avoid it on their second.

Dr Tsoi Kit-ying, a postdoctoral fellow at CUHK’s department of medicine, said the study showed that many pregnant women were having “unideal diets”.
Aside from leading to gestational diabetes, eating unhealthy could also result in complications such as hypertension during pregnancy and giving birth early.
The study found that more than nine in 10 women took nutritional supplements such as multivitamins, minerals, folate and fish oil regularly, and more than half took two or more supplements.
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But Ma warned that taking more supplements did not make up for an unhealthy diet, and pregnant women ought to pay more attention to the food they ate every day.
While women were often told they must “eat for two” during pregnancy, Ma said this was not what doctors advised and women who overeat might find it hard to lose weight after giving birth.
“A well-balanced diet with sufficient unprocessed meat, fruit, vegetables, nuts and other foods rich in vitamins and fibre is enough for pregnant women,” he said.
* Name changed at interviewee’s request


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Hong Kong

Health & Environment

Chinese University study shows one in five pregnant women develop gestational diabetes linked to diet
Hurried meals of processed, instant food are possible reasons for pregnant women’s high salt intake


Chinese University study shows one in five pregnant women develop gestational diabetes linked to diet


Hong Kong society

Hong Kong culture

Healthy eating

Watch what you eat, mum: Hong Kong women risk their health eating too much salt, too little fibre while pregnant

Chinese University study shows one in five pregnant women develop gestational diabetes linked to diet Hurried meals of processed, instant food are possible reasons for pregnant women’s high salt intake

Chinese University study shows one in five pregnant women develop gestational diabetes linked to diet

Hurried meals of processed, instant food are possible reasons for pregnant women’s high salt intake