Having diabetes before or during pregnancy can lead to risks for mom and baby, but Intermountain Health experts say well-managed diabetes can lower risk
(PRUnderground) December 26th, 2024
In the U.S., one in nine women in the U.S. has diabetes. And six percent of women who gave birth developed gestational diabetes during their pregnancy according to a recent report from the National Institutes of Health.
Having diabetes during pregnancy can lead to increased risks or complications for a mom or her baby. When pregnant moms have diabetes, it can lead to a higher risk of complications during pregnancy or delivery, such as high blood pressure or preeclampsia, preterm birth, cesarean delivery or other delivery complications since their babies are more likely to have a larger than normal birthweight.
A mom’s diabetes puts babies at risk too. When moms have diabetes, their babies are at increased risk for preterm birth, birth defects, stillbirths, respiratory distress, jaundice, birth injuries, and low blood sugar. Babies born preterm may need to spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit or may develop diabetes themselves later in life.
If moms see their doctor, midwife or diabetes provider early — ideally before they become pregnant – their provider can help ensure their diabetes is well-managed before they become pregnant. They can also review all your medications to determine what medications are safe to take during pregnancy.
If you plan your pregnancy, prepare your body, and control your blood glucose, you can lower risks almost to the same level as a woman without diabetes. A planned pregnancy is safest, especially for women with diabetes. Good planning — and tight control of your diabetes — can lower risks significantly.
Women with diabetes can benefit from seeing a maternal fetal medicine specialist (an obstetrician who is trained to manage high-risk pregnancies) for some or all of their prenatal visits.
It’s recommended to prevent pregnancy until your diabetes is well controlled for three to six months. Use some form of birth control while you work to achieve and maintain good control.
“For patients with diabetes, the cornerstone to improve the outcome of their pregnancy, and decrease the risks associated with diabetes is to prepare for pregnancy by optimizing glucose levels to an A1c of less than 6.9%, ideally less than 6.5%,” said Ibrahim Hammad, MD, an OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist with Intermountain Health.
If moms start their prenatal visits early in their pregnancy and keep all their prenatal appointments, they can increase their chance of a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby and reduce the risk of complications.
Gestational diabetes
Some women who have never had diabetes before may develop diabetes during pregnancy or what’s called gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes has no symptoms, so it’s important to complete a glucose screening test, which doctors or midwives generally recommend for all pregnant patients between 24-28 weeks. Women who have gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
For women with diabetes or another high-risk health condition who are considering pregnancy, the maternal fetal medicine department at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray has a Pregnancy Preparation, Prevention and Risk Evaluation (PrePPARE) Clinic which offers pre-pregnancy risk assessments and evaluations. Call 801-507-7400 for more information.
For more information about diabetes and pregnancy or to find a doctor visit intermountainhealthcare.org
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
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