Pregnancy Complications – Diabetes and Pregnancy

Most pregnancies end well. Even when pregnancy complications develop, health care workers are often able to help mother and child come through in good condition.

Pregnancy complications can arise from preexisting conditions. One disease that makes delivering a healthy child more challenging is diabetes. For those of you not familiar with this condition, diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. This may be caused by the pancreas not making enough insulin (a hormone that controls sugar levels) or by muscle, fat and liver cells that are not responding normally to the insulin produced. In some instances, both of these causes are present.

Approximately one percent of women who conceive have diabetes before hand. This is known as pre-gestational diabetes. If not properly managed, this illness can result in numerous complications.

Women with pre-gestational diabetes are three to four times more likely to deliver a child with birth defects if their blood sugar levels are not under control. Fortunately, if the condition is well-managed the mother and child are at no greater risk because of the presence of the disease.

Premature birth is another risk that increases because of this illness. Even if the child is delivered safely, he is at greater risk for ailments during the new-born stage and for permanent health concerns as well. These early stage problems may include jaundice, low blood sugar levels and difficulty breathing. In the long run, children born to a mother with uncontrolled diabetes may experience unhealthy weight gain and obesity as adolescents and young adults.

Treating this malady involves testing to ensure that sugar levels are in the proper range, exercise, proper foot care, careful meal planning to ensure that you are eating healthy foods and avoiding foods that will exacerbate the condition and taking medication or insulin.