Pregnancy and Diabetes
Diabetes in the mother is one of the most common reasons a pregnancy is considered “high risk.” Whether a woman had type 1 or 2 diabetes before she got pregnant or develops gestational diabetes in her third trimester, she will need to be monitored by a perinatologist — a doctor who specializes in pregnancy complications.
Insulin Resistance
Weight gain and hormonal changes during pregnancy cause a woman’s body to make less insulin. What’s more, the body uses insulin less effectively during pregnancy, a condition known as insulin resistance. By late pregnancy, all women experience a degree of insulin resistance. According to the American Diabetes Association, nearly 10 percent of these women will develop gestational diabetes.
Diabetes Risks
If diabetes is not well managed during pregnancy, a variety of complications can occur:
Risks to the Mother
- High Blood Pressure or “Preeclampsia,” a serious complication of pregnancy that can threaten the lives of both mother and baby
- Developing Type 2 Diabetes Later in Life
- Once a woman has had gestational diabetes, she is more likely to get it again during a future pregnancy and has an elevated risk of developing diabetes later in life
- Cesarean Delivery
- Infants born to women with gestational diabetes can be larger than average and often need to be delivered by cesarean
Risks to the Baby
- Macrosomia
Infants born to women with gestational diabetes may be considerably larger than normal at birth, a condition called macrosomia - Hypoglycemia at Birth
The babies of women with gestational diabetes may be born with low blood glucose, or hypoglycemia, which can require some time in the NICU - Respiratory Distress Syndrome
- Stillbirth
- Jaundice
Newborns with jaundice need to be treated with light therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Sweet Success Program
Sweet Success strives to improve maternal and fetal birth outcomes through promotion of health education and disease prevention.
