Diabetes: what Indian women should know

November 14^th is World Diabetes Day. As obesity in India increases, women are getting more susceptible to diabetes. Diabetes in pregnancy can affect the health of both the mother and her unborn child. If the diabetes is not well controlled, there is an increased chance for miscarriage, birth defects and other problems in the pregnancy.

There are three types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes which requires daily insulin injections for control, Type 2 diabetes which is usually controlled with diet, exercise and tablets, and gestational diabetes which is diabetes first detected in pregnancy.

Here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQs) about diabetes and pregnancy:

How does gestational diabetes differ from Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes?

A woman who develops diabetes during pregnancy is said to have gestational diabetes. Some women have more than one pregnancy affected by diabetes which may disappear after the pregnancy ends. The worrisome part is that more than 50 per cent of women with gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes later.

If not controlled, gestational diabetes can cause the baby to grow very large and can lead to problems with delivery for the mother and the baby. Gestational diabetes might be controlled with diet and exercise, or it might require the administration of insulin.

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes often are present before a woman gets pregnant. If not controlled before and during pregnancy, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can lead to miscarriage or birth defects. The mother also becomes susceptible to problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease, or blindness.

Will my baby develop diabetes?

Babies born to mothers with diabetes are not born with diabetes. If the mother’s diabetes was not well controlled during pregnancy, the baby will produce large quantities of insulin while still in the womb. This can lead to low blood sugar levels immediately after birth and the baby must be watched very closely until its body adjusts the amount of insulin it makes.

Large babies are more likely to become obese and to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life. Unless they are trained to develop healthy eating and regular exercise habits as they grow up, they have a greater chance for obesity and Type 2 diabetes.