Diabetic women can find it particularly difficult to keep their blood sugar levels under control during pregnancy, and Gestational (diabetes of pregnancy) diabetes can develop in previously healthy women in response to pregnancy. Diabetes can present numerous threats to the health of both the mother and child and, according to a study from the University of Bristol in the UK, the child's intellect can be one cause for concern.
This particular study, published in August 2012 in the journal Experimental Diabetes Research, included:
6,032 four-year-olds,
5,282 eight-year-olds, and
7,615 sixteen-year-olds.
In the youngest group it was discovered pre-existing diabetes, Gestational diabetes, and high blood sugar levels were associated with lower scores on a test called the School Entry Assessment. Eight-year-olds whose mothers had diabetes or high blood sugar levels during their pregnancy, had lower IQ scores than their colleagues whose mothers had normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
The British General Certificate of Secondary Education results were lower in sixteen-year-olds whose mothers had been diagnosed with Gestational diabetes or who had high blood sugar levels during pregnancy than in those whose mothers had demonstrated normal blood sugar levels. Children of mothers with Gestational diabetes averaged 5 points lower on IQ tests than children of mothers with normal blood sugar levels.
Hormonal changes that take place during pregnancy can cause temporary diabetes to develop in women who never had diabetes before. Pregnancy hormones can block insulin from doing its job, which is what causes Type 2 diabetes. After giving birth, women who have had Gestational diabetes are at a high risk for developing Type 2 diabetes later on.
Babies of women with Type 2 diabetes can be born overweight because of all the sugar they were exposed to in the womb, causing them to be at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes their whole lives. Because the infants are sometimes overweight, childbirth can be difficult, and the baby can suffer fractured shoulders passing down the birth canal, or have to be delivered by Caesarian section. Heart defects are also more common in infants of mothers with Gestational diabetes.
To prevent Gestational diabetes start your pregnancy in a healthy state: normalize your weight and eat a good variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as exercising daily. Obstetricians perform a glucose tolerance test to find cases of Gestational diabetes. If it is diagnosed, follow your doctor or midwife's instructions as to diet, exercise, and medical care. Give your baby the best possible start.
Type 2 diabetes is no longer a condition you must just live with. It need not slowly and inevitably get worse. You can take control of the disease... lower your blood sugar levels and lose weight. This is especially important prior to and during pregnancy.
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