According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA, gestational diabetes associated with pregnancy affects 18 percent of pregnancies worldwide. It has been established that in 5–10% of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes has type 2 diabetes immediately after birth. Women with gestational diabetes have a chance of 35 to 60% of the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes over the next 10–20 years.
According to the report in European Journal of Endocrinology, September 2011, breastfeeding in women diagnosed with pregnancy-related diabetes may be one way to help prevent type 2 diabetes after pregnancy. Researchers at the National University of Ireland at Galway looked at sugar resistance:
- 300 women who had gestational diabetes during one or more pregnancies, and
- 220 women who had normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy.
Six women who showed normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy and 57 who experienced gestational diabetes showed high blood sugar levels. Those who breastfed their children had:
- 2 percent high blood sugar level compared to
- 4 percent of those who bottle fed their children.
Thus, investigators concluded that breastfeeding may be helpful in preventing high blood sugar levels and should be encouraged.
Infants of mothers with diabetes can be born very fat and large. Mother's high blood sugar levels cross the placenta and feed the fetus with too much glucose, causing it to grow really big for its gestational age. This condition is called macrosomia, which is technically defined for birth weights above 8 pounds 13 ounces (4000 grams). Infants with macrosomia usually cannot fit into the birth canal because their shoulders are stuck. It is imperative that these children be delivered by cesarean section.
A child may be born with low blood sugar because their pancreas may over-react to getting too much sugar from their mothers. They have a high level of heart and other defects. Jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes may be present and can cause brain damage if it is not treated.
Children of mothers with gestational diabetes are at risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and when they reach school age, they show a high level of inattention and poor physical activity.
Diabetes during pregnancy can be prevented if mothers normalize body weight before pregnancy and gain the same weight as recommended by their doctor. Most obstetricians experience gestational diabetes between the ages of 24 and 28 weeks for mothers with moderate risks. The test is that the mother drinks a solution of sugar and regularly measures blood sugar levels. If the test is abnormal, but the mother has normal blood sugar levels 2 hours after a meal, a healthy diet can usually control the condition. If the test is abnormal and the mother has high blood sugar 2 hours after a meal, insulin or other medications may be required.
