The risk of diabetes during Pregnancy

Many in pregnant women with diabetes , known as gestational diabetes . Diabetes develops when the body can not produce enough insulin , a hormone produced by the pancreas .

Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood for energy and allow the sugar that is not needed immediately is stored.

During pregnancy , a mother's body will produce more insulin to meet the needs of infants, especially from mid-pregnancy onwards .

If the body can not provide additional insulin , the mother will have too much sugar in the blood and cause gestational diabetes .

Gestational diabetes usually goes away on its own after the baby is born, unlike other types of diabetes is a lifelong disease.

Nearly everyone knows about the complications involving diabetes.

Usually patients uncontrolled diabetes are prone to complications such as kidney , eye problems , heart disease and wounds that will not heal .

However defect pregnant diabetics are prone to a variety of risks that could cause injury to the baby.

Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology , Medical Center Kelana Jaya , Petaling Jaya , Dr . Dharmini Veerakumaran said, there are the first two women , who have diabetes before pregnancy , and second , that there is no diabetes but have difficulty in digesting sugar during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes .

" The first group was divided into those who know have diabetes and do not know they have diabetes , " he said.

The first who knows they have diabetes should consult a physician before pregnancy counseling .

" They need to control blood sugar and change the medication to insulin injections to stabilize blood sugar , " he said.

However, these people usually come to the doctor after getting to know themselves pregnant and puts the mother and baby to a variety of risks .

"The most dangerous when pregnant women do not know they have diabetes and are prone to various complications .

" Usually the doctor will begin by injecting insulin to control blood sugar and they do not usually need to stay in hospital for monitoring , " he said.

The third group of women at risk of having diabetes during pregnancy are said to have digestive problems or sugar .

The recommended tests for diagnosis of gestational diabetes is the oral glucose tolerance test ( OGTT ) in which blood sugar test taken during fasting and two hours after drinking the sugar water.

If the mother is in a high risk group for developing gestational diabetes , they will be given this test between weeks 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

The level of sugar during fasting should be less than 5.6 mmol / L and 7.8 mmol / liter after two hours of drinking sugar water.

If the reading test OGTT higher than recommended , the patient should be referred to a Dietitian to encourage them to eat little and often.

Pregnant women with diabetes should be given birth two weeks earlier to avoid complications such as overgrown baby or the baby died in the womb due to the placenta not working.