Type 2 Diabetes - Insulin Resistance and Your Bones
Gestational diabetes risks and prevention tips
1. According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta,
USA, gestational diabetes, the kind associated with
pregnancy, affects 18 per cent of pregnancies worldwide.
Five to 10 per cent of women diagnosed with gestational
diabetes are found to have Type 2 diabetes immediately
after giving birth. Women with gestational diabetes have a
35 to 60 per cent chance of being diagnosed with Type 2
diabetes during the following 10 to 20 years.
2. According to a report in the European Journal of
Endocrinology, September 2011, breastfeeding by women
who were diagnosed with pregnancy-related diabetes
could be one way of helping to prevent Type 2 diabetes
after pregnancy. Researchers at the National University of
Ireland in Galway looked at sugar tolerance in:
3. 300 women who had gestational diabetes during one or
more of their pregnancies, and
4. 220 women who had normal blood sugar levels during
pregnancy.
5. Six women who had shown normal blood sugar levels
during pregnancy and 57 who had experienced gestational
diabetes, showed high blood sugar levels. Those who
breastfed their babies had an:
6. 2 per cent rate of high blood sugar, compared with
7. 4 per cent of those who fed their infants from bottles.
8. The investigators therefore concluded breastfeeding could
be beneficial in preventing high blood sugars and should
be encouraged.
9. Infants of mothers with diabetes can be born very fat and
large. The mother's high blood sugar levels cross the
placenta and feed the fetus too much glucose, causing it to
grow really large for its gestational age. This condition is
called macrosomia, technically defined by a birth weight
greater than 8lb 13oz (4,000 gram). Babies with
macrosomia are usually not able to fit through the birth
canal because their shoulders get stuck. Must of these
babies will need to be delivered by cesarean section.
10. The baby can be born with low blood sugar levels because
their pancreas can overreact to receiving too much sugar
from their mothers. They have a high rate of heart and
other defects. Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes,
can be present and can lead to brain damage if it is not
treated.
11. Children of mothers with gestational diabetes are at risk
for obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and when they reach
school age they show a high rate of inattention and poor
motor skills.
12. Gestational diabetes can be prevented if mothers
normalize their body weights before pregnancy and gain
only as much weight as their doctor recommend. Most
obstetricians test for gestational diabetes at 24 to 28
weeks for mothers at average risk. The test consists of
having the mother drink a solution of sugar and measuring
her blood sugar at regular intervals. If the test is abnormal
but the mother has normal blood sugar levels 2 hours
after meals, a healthful diet can usually control the
condition. If the test is abnormal and the mother exhibits
high blood sugar levels 2 hours after meals, treatment
with insulin or other medication can be necessary.