Type 2 Diabetes - Maintaining a Healthy Pregnancy to Help Prevent Hydrocephalus in the Baby

Hydrocephalus, colloquially known as "water on the brain" takes place when there is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain and leading to increased pressure inside the skull. This usually leads to gradual enlargement of the child's head.

Brain matter can be abnormally compressed by too much fluid. This is a serious condition that can lead to intellectual defects, tunnel vision, and convulsions.The brain is normally bathed in cerebrospinal fluid, which circulates through the brain and spinal cord. Hydrocephalus is created when the fluid is unable to drain from the brain to the spinal cord. Various factors, such as bleeding, neurological defect, and meningitis can be associated with the condition. Some cases start before the infant is born, while others begin outside the womb.

Researchers at the Washington State University, in Seattle, USA, and Seattle Children's Hospital, looked at hydrocephalus diagnosed during the first year after birth, and how three common types were associated with diabetes and other factors. Their study, reported on in November 2014 in the journal Pediatric Neurology, included...

1748 children with hydrocephalus and
19,700 without.
It was found hydrocephalus associated with neurological defect was almost twice as likely in children whose mothers had diabetes as in those with healthy mothers. Children of diabetic pregnancies were more than five times as likely to have hydrocephalus commence in the uterus or be associated with bleeding, as those from uncomplicated pregnancies. Other risk factors included race, with Caucasians having a higher risk than Asians, high blood pressure, and prematurity.

One in every 500 infants is diagnosed with hydrocephalus. There are about 75,000 diagnoses per year in United States hospitals alone. During well baby checkups, doctors measure the baby's head size to be sure their head is not too large due to fluid buildup. They chart head size as the infant grows to be sure the baby's head is growing at a normal rate.

When hydrocephalus is suspected, images of the brain are taken for diagnosis. When the condition is diagnosed a shunt is often inserted surgically. A shunt consists of a plastic tube that conveys cerebrospinal fluid from the head to another point in the body, where it can then be removed.

One method of helping to prevent hydrocephalus is to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Mothers need to avoid or control Type 2 and Gestational diabetes by...

following a healthy eating plan,
maintaining weight control, and
taking part in adequate exercise
Type 1 diabetes should be controlled with insulin as directed by the doctor.

Although managing your disease can be very challenging, Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can make simple changes to your daily routine and lower both your weight and your blood sugar levels. Hang in there, the longer you do it, the easier it gets.