The effects on a diabetic fetus can be minimized by good diabetic care during a pregnancy and delivery. To avoid complications, the most important thing that you can do is to keep your blood glucose levels normal by careful monitoring, eating healthily, and exercise in a manner which your doctor recommends. In current times, most diabetic pregnancies turn out about like any other pregnancy would. There are risk factors for your diabetic fetus that you should know about though. According to MedIndia.net, these risks include:
Congenital malformations–your baby stands a risk of developing heart defects of defects of the respiratory system. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is one complication that occurs more often in babies born to diabetic mothers.
Intrauterine death – a diabetic fetus carries this risk far more than the fetus of a non-diabetic mother.
Fetal macrosomia – a diabetic fetus is likely to be considerably larger than a fetus of a normal pregnancy. This is because high glucose levels travel through the placenta and into the fetus. This stimulates the fetus’ pancreas to produce more insulin, the baby receives more energy, and it is stored as fat.
Hypoglycemia – after the baby is born it may have low blood sugar levels. This is because the baby may be producing more insulin in reaction to your high blood sugar levels. This high insulin production could go on for some time after delivery, so the baby will have to have its blood sugar levels carefully monitored. The feeding schedule and amounts may also have to be adjusted.
Jaundice – An increased production of bilirubin that causes yellowing of the skin is quite common in diabetic mothers.
Risk of type-2 diabetes–A baby born to a diabetic mother has an increased risk of developing type-2 diabetes, but usually far later in life.
Birth Injuries – Babies are at risk of birth injuries if they are large or overweight.
Preventing Complications
Complications for you and your baby can be prevented by keeping your blood sugar levels within a normal range. Most women who can accomplish this have babies which are completely healthy and are born without any complications. The first step to protecting yourself and your baby is to modify your diet. It is recommended that you meet with a dietician to customize your eating plan. However, just understanding the main principles should help. They are:
- Avoid high-sugar foods
- Eat reasonable portions of high-carbohydrates
- Eat smaller, but more frequent meals
You should check your blood sugar at least four times a day, unless otherwise directed. Check your blood sugar first thing in the morning, before you have had anything to eat or drink. Then you must check your blood sugar one hour after each meal. For some women monitoring their blood sugar and dieting is simply not enough. Insulin therapy is often initiated (UCSFhealth.org, 2012).
