Dr. Kim Trout receives NIH grant for gestational diabetes study

Villanova, PA, December 9, 2008 — Kimberly Trout, Ph.D., CNM, a certified nurse midwife and assistant professor at Villanova University College of Nursing, has received a three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Nursing Research for her research “Perinatal outcomes with carbohydrate restriction for gestational diabetes.”

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common pregnancy complications. In order to reduce complications, one of the goals of treatment is to maintain maternal blood glucose levels within as close to normal range as possible. For some women with GDM, insulin is required to achieve optimal blood glucose levels; however, most women with GDM do not receive medication and are “diet-controlled”. Despite this, there is little evidence about the optimal composition of macronutrients in the diet for women with GDM. The proposed randomized controlled trial is designed to test the hypothesis that a lower carbohydrate diet (35-40% of total calories) will help pregnant women with GDM to achieve better blood glucose control and reduce the rate of serious complications for themselves and their infants. She will be implementing her study with research participants from a Diabetes in Pregnancy program clinic at an inner city hospital that serves a population at higher risk for health disparities and for developing GDM, with patients who are primarily African-American and Hispanic.