English for Nurses: Gestational diabetes

Part 1: Vocabulary: Gestational diabetes

• antenatal
• birth defect
• caesarean section
• gestation
• hyperglycaemia
• pre-term
• recurrent
• stillbirth

Match the terms from the vocabulary list with their correct meanings

1. ___________ : birth of a dead baby
2. ___________ : happening again and again
3. ___________ : development of a child while it is still in its mother’s body
4. ___________ : very high blood sugar levels
5. ___________ : operation during which the uterus is cut to allow the birth of a baby
6. ___________ : born before the full period of pregnancy is completed
7. ___________ : period before birth
8. ___________ : physical problem with a body part that is present at birth

Part 2: Reading

Complete the text using the words below

• antenatal
• birth defect
• caesarean section
• hyperglycaemia
• pre-term
• recurrent
• stillbirth

Pregnant women with type 1 or 2 diabetes are at a higher risk of having a baby with a (1) __________, e.g. macrosomia (large for gestational age). They may also have a (2) ___________ baby (born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or (3) ___________ (deceased after 28 weeks of pregnancy, according to WHO). Excessively high blood glucose levels (4) ___________ during pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk of having to give birth via (5) ___________ birth. Women are also more likely to develop obesity or type 2 diabetes in the future.

A recent study at University of Leicester, UK, found that South Asian women were nearly twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes when compared to White women and Black women were nearly 1.5 times more likely to have (6) ___________ gestational diabetes when compared to White women.

During the (7) ___________ period, women who have gestational diabetes are advised about lifestyle, diet and exercise guidelines to manage the complications of the condition. As there are clear differences in risk between various ethnic groups, it is important that advice is tailored to the cultural needs of each woman.

Part 3: Listening

Watch the video below and answer the questions True or False

1. Gestational diabetes occurs in the vast majority of pregnancies of older women. True/False
2. Some risk factors for developing gestational diabetes can be changed by following a healthy lifestyle. True/False
3. A woman with gestational diabetes has an increased risk of developing serious complications. True/False
4. A baby born to a mother with gestational diabetes will have hyperglycaemia. True/False
5. The treatment of gestational diabetes may include medication to lower blood glucose levels. True/False
6. Prompt and regular feeding are recommended after the birth of a baby to a mother with gestational diabetes. True/False