Diabetes mellitus (DM)or more commonly known as diabetes, is an extremely important health problem caused by the pancreas not producing any insulin or insufficient insulin. Diabetes, which has increased in parallel with the increase in obesity especially in recent years, has become a global health problem today.
Diabetes and Pregnancy
A mother with diabetes has the same chance of pregnancy and having children as non-diabetics. The important thing is to plan the pregnancy of the expectant mother in the consultation of the doctor only and after pregnancy also whether to continue or terminate the pregnancy in consultation with the doctor.
In addition to conceiving a woman with diabetes, diabetes can also occur in a healthy pregnancy. This is called “gestational diabetes”. In women who have diabetes during pregnancy, the frequency of developing Type II diabetes is very high in the later years.
However;
Often, Diabetes during pregnancy passes with the birth of the baby. Diabetes during pregnancy in your body occurs only when you are pregnant. After the baby is born, your body returns to normal and the disease passes.
Gestational Diabetes can be treated, especially if you notice it early in your pregnancy.
The best way to keep your pregnancy sugar under control is early detection and prompt treatment.
Treatment of pregnancy sugar greatly reduces the likelihood that the baby will have problems.
Remember that every pregnancy can be different. Even if you did not have gestational Diabetesin your previous pregnancy, it may be in your current pregnancy. Or if you have had a previous pregnancy, it may not be now. Follow your doctor’s or nurse’s advice about your risk level and tests.
The diabetic mother may also have some risks in the baby to be born:
- High glucose levels in the blood can cause an impaired form of embryonic cells, causing birth defects.
- Due to the infection, the expectant mother may have to give birth by cesarean due to the large baby.
- It may cause other health problems for the mother and baby. There may be a risk of gestational diabetes in the mother.
What should women with diabetes pay attention to during their pregnancy?
Advanced age, overweight, family history of diabetes, or diabetes in a previous pregnancy are risk factors. However, gestational diabetes can be seen in those who have no risk factors. Pregnant with diabetes should monitor blood glucose at home during pregnancy, follow her diet and, if necessary, apply insulin therapy under the supervision of a doctor. When the insulin dose needs to be adjusted during the controls, it may be necessary to be hospitalized for 24 to 48 hours. Also, the baby is subjected to detailed anomaly tests. Since the risk increases after 32 weeks of the gestational week, weekly NST, amniotic fluid measurement, and biophysical profile are made in suspicious cases. The large baby and developmental retardation are followed by ultrasonography. Blood pressure and weight are monitored.