DALI

One of the biggest problems in medicine, which goes along with a worldwide increase in obesity, is the rise of blood sugar levels. This can have severe effects on women in childbearing age. Diabetes mellitus during pregnancy is a very serious disease with direct consequences for both mother and baby. As a result, babies can be born with growth disturbances, breathing problems or low blood sugar.

In the long run, diabetes mellitus during pregnancy - also called Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) - constitutes insofar a problem for mother and baby as it might lead to overweight (obesity) and diabetes in the future. Due to the lack of typical symptoms and Europe-wide standards in diagnosis and treatment it is very difficult to diagnose GDM. The number of affected people rises constantly; in some countries, almost 20% of pregnant women have GDM.  

The EU-project DALI is the framework for 13 partners from 11 countries to cooperate in a Europe-wide and large-scale study with the aim to develop effective preventive measures for GDM. In the four and a half years period, DALI will investigate the actual spreading of the disease by using standardized diagnostic methods.

Furthermore, possible preventive measures will be tested. One of the objectives of the EU-project DALI is to develop uniform European standards for interventions and to collect reliable data on GDM. Also, the effectiveness of three different intervention strategies (healthy eating, physical activity, Vitamin D) to prevent diabetes during pregnancy will be analyzed.

Researchers of the Medical University

The Medical University of Vienna is project partner under the leadership of Univ. Prof.in Dr.in Alexandra Kautzky-Willer / Department of Medicine III, Clinical Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Gender Medicine Unit.

Staff at the Medical University of Vienna:
Endocrinology and Metabolism: 

• Jürgen Harreiter (project coordination)
• Karoline Leitner (scientific staff)
• Luna Wattar (scientific staff)

Obstetrics and Gynecology:

• Dagmar Bancher-Todesca (coordination)
• Christof Worda (Ultrasonic)

Radiodiagnostics:

• Daniela Prayer (fetal MRI)

Consortium

Project coordinator: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Gernot Desoye, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Austria

Project partners: 13

Facts