Straight Talk on Gestational Diabetes

There is a storm coming, but few have heard the forecast. The rate of diabetes during pregnancy has increased by 400 percent over the past 30 years. Many believe that this is only the beginning for this unheralded epidemic.

Diabetes is an illness in which there is excessive sugar in the blood. Untreated, this can lead to injury of small blood vessels with diminished circulation to vital organs. Nerve, kidney, eye and heart damage can result. In extreme cases, large elevations of blood sugar can lead to unconsciousness and death.

For pregnant women, diabetes poses special problems for the fetus. Elevated levels of maternal blood sugar can lead to excessive growth for the fetus. This in turn can lead to an increased risk of C-section for the mother. However, diabetes also poses a direct threat to the fetus during vaginal delivery. If the head emerges, but the rest of the body does not due to excessive trunk and abdominal size, the newborn can suffer serious injury including damage to the nerves of the arm.

Beyond an absolute increase in size, the risk of stillbirth is increased. For those who are diabetic before pregnancy, the risk of birth defects is considerably increased. Finally, there is growing evidence that children born to women with elevated sugars during pregnancy are themselves at increased risk for obesity and diabetes.

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