Wii Against Gestational Diabetes

Researchers from St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Canada, found a way for women suffering from gestational diabetes to exercise, without having to go outside, in the cold: they will offer those recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes a Nintendo Wii gaming console, a Wii Fit activity platform as well as two very active games, Wii Sport and Wii Fit Plus.

The goal of this experiment is to see if they get more exercise and manage to lower their blood glucose levels, thus limiting the need for insulin.

Today's busy lifestyle leaves little time for women to exercise, especially for women who are pregnant and in northern climates like Canada's.

Gestational diabetes affects 2 to 9 percent of pregnancies, the test for detecting it can be made only between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy and the only treatment is exercise and diet.

If the treatment does not work, the only way of controlling blood glucose levels is by taking insulin and 15-66% of women are forced to do it.

Dr. Howard Berger, head of the high-risk pregnancy unit at St. Michael's said that “we all know how hard it is to maintain a proper exercise regimen in the best of times, [and] it is obviously much harder while pregnant.

“We thought that by combining a fun, home-based activity with a clinical goal we will be able to achieve an important health benefit for our patients with gestational diabetes.”

The women taking part in this experiment will be patients at the hospital's diabetes in pregnancy clinic, part of the Women's Health Center.

Women suffering from gestational diabetes have a high risk of developing diabetes and obesity later in life, but they also can develop several complications during pregnancy and delivery.

They risk having heavier babies, pre-eclampsia, premature births, higher rates of Cesareans and postpartum hemorrhage.

Newborns of a diabetic mother can also be affected and have metabolic complications like hypoglycemia and hyperinsulinemia – a condition also known as pre-diabetes.