Diabetes that occurs in pregnancy is categorized by (Pricilla) White’s classification system so that it is better managed. Class B diabetes is diabetes which was developed after the age of 20, the disease has had a duration of less than 10 years, and the diabetic has no vascular complications.A Class B diabetes pregnancy is not of any extreme risk, but you should take the time to learn what risks there are. Infants born of mothers with pre-existing diabetes are at an increased risk of pre- and neonatal complications, such as stillbirth.
Class B Diabetes MellitusComplications
Complications for a mother with pre-existing diabetes (such as Class B diabetes) are really based on three different factors. First is the degree of insulin need, the second is the degree of severity of complications associated with the diabetes, and the third is the control of blood glucose levels. The third is the most important. Most complications which occur in a diabetic pregnancy happen due to poor control of blood sugar levels, even in diabetes Class B.
There is special fetal testing and monitoring used for diabetic pregnancies, especially for those who take insulin. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, these tests include:
Fetal movement counting – the mother counts the number of kicks within a certain time frame and watches for a change in activity.
Ultrasound – In diabetes pregnancies, an ultrasound is often used to monitor blood vessels, tissues, and internal organs. Assessing the fetus’ health is very important in high risk pregnancies, such as class b diabetes.
Non-stress testing – this is a measurement of the fetal heart rate in response to the fetus’ movement.
Biophysical profile – The non-stress test is used in combination with the ultrasound in order to examine fetal movements, heart rate, and the amount of amniotic fluids.
Doppler flow studies – this is a type of ultrasound which helps to monitor and measure the fetus’ blood flow.
Class B Gestational Diabetes
Class B diabetes is not gestational diabetes. Classes B – H are all types of diabetes pregnancies in which the mother had diabetes before the pregnancy began. Gestational diabetes is diabetes which occurs during pregnancy. Sometimes gestational diabetes becomes type-2 diabetes after the pregnancy is over, but usually this does not occur until several years later.
White’s classifications system does have two classes for types of gestational diabetes. The first, Class A1, is the classification of non-insulin dependent mothers. Class A2 includes mothers which are insulin dependent. Women are normally screened between the 24th and the 28th weeks of pregnancy for gestational diabetes.
