Type 2 Diabetes - Gestational Diabetes: How Can It Affect Your Baby?

Gestational diabetes is a term used to describe a newly diagnosed case of diabetes during pregnancy. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, approximately two to ten percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with this form of diabetes each year. With treatment, gestational diabetes usually resolves after the birth of the baby but after pregnancy, roughly five to ten percent of these women are confirmed to have developed Type 2 diabetes.

Being overweight is a risk factor. Because of the obesity epidemic, gestational diabetes is on the rise: it usually begins in the second trimester and is associated with pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition characterized by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

If you are one of these women, you might be interested to know how this metabolic problem can affect your baby:

1. Gestational diabetes may result in the delivery of a large baby. The most common complication of gestational diabetes is the delivery of a baby weighing more than nine pounds. Larger babies are more difficult to deliver; labor induced one or two weeks before the due date or a planned cesarean section may be suggested. Provided blood sugar levels are kept within normal levels (insulin may be needed to achieve this), the baby will be a normal weight.

2. Hypoglycemia. Infants delivered by diabetic mothers usually develop hypoglycemia or decreased blood sugar, a few hours after delivery. Hypoglycemia in newborns results from the increased insulin secretion by the infant's pancreas in response to its exposure to elevated blood sugar level in utero. According to the Mayoclinic.com, severe hypoglycemia may cause seizure episodes in newborn babies. To prevent this from happening, prompt feeding and, sometimes, intravenous glucose supplementation is necessary to correct the blood sugar level of the baby.

3. Breathing problems. As mentioned on Mayoclinic.com, preterm babies born to diabetic mothers have a greater risk of developing breathing problems, medically known as respiratory distress syndrome, compared to those delivered by mothers without gestational diabetes. Babies with respiratory distress syndrome usually need to be attached to a respirator and receive assisted mechanical breathing until their lungs become healthy and strong enough to inhale and exhale on their own.

4. Develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. Babies delivered by diabetic mothers are at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those delivered by non-diabetic mothers according to information on Mayoclinic.com. To prevent this from happening, strict blood sugar control is necessary to prevent the baby from being exposed to constant high blood sugar whilst in utero.

5. Congenital anomalies. According to the SOGC Clinical Practical Guideline published in November 2007, high maternal blood sugar levels are the major cause of congenital anomalies and abnormalities in babies delivered by diabetic mothers. The risk for congenital malformation in these babies is four to ten percent, which is two to three times higher compared to the general population. The most commonly affected organ systems are the cardiovascular system and the nervous system. The babies face and extremities may also be affected.

Diabetic women should have a planned pregnancy to avoid these complications. All women trying for a baby, no matter what their state of health need to be careful about their diet in the weeks before conception.