Serious Health Problems Increase for Babies of Women with Type 2
A recent study published in
Diabetes Care has shown that women with type 2 diabetes have given birth
to babies with an increasing number of serious health problems. These problems
include such conditions as brain, spine and heart malformations. The rate of
stillbirths also increased.
In the study, babies of
women who had type 1 and women who did not have diabetes had fewer problems than
women with type 2. And the rate of serious problems has increased in the last
decade, which could be in part because more people are being diagnosed with
diabetes at a younger age. It’s possible that those who are first diagnosed are
not completely aware of the importance of keeping their blood sugar under
control during the years that they may become pregnant.
To read more about diabetes
and pregnancy, read “How Diabetes Affects Pregnancy” from our January Topic of
the Month.
Source:
Diabetes Care, February 2005
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