Diabetes in pregnancy

ABU, who was ten months old, Diabetes is a condition in which blood sugar level is high because insulin is not enough, or insulin is not working properly. Insulin is a hormone that enables one’s body to break down sugar (glucose) in the blood, and to be used as energy.

Diabetes can develop during pregnancy in a woman who has not previously had the condition and this is called gestational diabetes. This condition, if not properly controlled, can lead to problems in the mother, as well as the baby.

During pregnancy, gestational diabetes develops when the woman’s body cannot meet the extra insulin demands of the pregnancy.

This comes to be due to the fact that various hormones block the usual action of insulin during pregnancy, which is to help make sure the woman’s growing baby gets enough glucose, thus, the woman’s baby needs to produce more insulin to cope with the changes.

Gestational diabetes is quite different from type I and type 2 diabetes which are life long conditions, usually begins in the second half of pregnancy, and goes away after the baby is born. If it does not go away after the baby is born, then, it is possible that the woman already had diabetes and was aggravated during the pregnancy.

According to a publication by BUPA’s health information team, gestational diabetes does not usually cause any symptoms, but however, sometimes, the pregnant woman may have symptoms of high blood sugar, such as increased thirst, needing to urinate frequently, and tiredness.

It is also worthy of note that poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy puts the woman at a higher risk of various problems which include preeclampsia, premature labour, among others.

One is also more likely to develop gestational diabetes in future pregnancies, and is at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Having high blood sugar can cause the baby to grow larger, thus, making delivery difficult, sometimes resulting in caesarean section.

And a pregnant woman with high blood sugar is more likely to have a caesarean delivery than the one who does not have diabetes, explained the publication.

Another effect gestational diabetes can have on the baby is that he or she may have low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) after birth. This is because the baby makes more extra insulin to respond to the mother’s high blood sugar levels.

Shortly after birth, the baby may continue to make extra insulin causing his or her blood sugar level to be to low.

If a woman had gestational diabetes, her new-born baby’s blood sugar level will be checked regularly. And regular, normal feeding, either by breastmilk or formula may be enough to correct one’s baby low blood sugar. But sometimes, babies are given sugar (dextrose) solution through a drip.

On the risk the baby is exposed to if the mother has an uncontrolled gestational diabetes are jaundice, which fades without medical treatment, congenital problems like a heart defect or respiratory distress syndrome in which the baby has problems breathing because his or her lungs have not matured normally.

There is also an increased risk of the baby becoming obese as a child, although this may be due to the family’s eating habits rather than any effect on the baby in the womb.

No one knows the reason some women develop gestational diabetes and others do not, but you are more at risk if you have a family history of gestational diabetes, that is, the grandmother, mother or sister had it, or if you have previously given birth to a large baby weighing over 4.5kgt. Also, a woman who has previously had a stillbirth, and one who is over weight or obese, among others.

It is therefore very important that you control your blood sugar level if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. This means regular testing of your blood sugar levels, a carefully planned diet and keeping active.

Consult your doctor who will give you advice on how to test, how often to do it, and the blood sugar results that you are aiming for.

Also, a meal plan that will probably consist of a variety of foods, including plenty to starchy foods such as wholemeal bread, pasta, rice and potatoes, and at least five portions of fruits and vegetables should be drawn out and ahead to.

Regular, moderate intensive exercise, such as walk can help reduce blood sugar levels and promote a sense of well being. At least, thirty (30) minutes of activity that gets you slightly breathless each day is recommended by the health department.

Besides making the above lifestyle changes, it is still possible that your blood sugar level stays too high, and under such circumstance, you may need daily injection of insulin, which your doctor will teach you how to do.

However, it is possible to have too much insulin and this can cause low blood sugar, which has common symptoms like paleness, shaking, hunger and sweating, but your doctor will have to be consulted to explain how to recognise the symptoms, and what to do if it happens. For example, keeping sugary soft drink handy is a good idea.

Courtesy: BUPA’s health information team, healthinfo@bupa.com