HYDERABAD: Luckily, this condition starts and ends with pregnancy lDr. Vimee Bindra
Changing lifestyle and stressed behaviour in woman these days is leading to high risk factors during pregnancy. Fluctuation in the blood sugar levels, hypertension are the major complications during pregnancy, which to a large extent is ending up in delivering pre mature babies.
Also women carrying more than one baby are more likely to develop diabetes and hypertension, as their body is under additional stress during pregnancy.
When we talk about Gestational Diabetes and its complications, variation in the blood sugar levels in pregnancy is the major cause of maternal, foetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
The foetus has an increased risk of intrauterine growth restriction, prematurity, cardiac abnormalities and in severe uncontrolled cases may cause intrauterine death. Management depends on the woman’s blood sugar, gestational age, blood flow in placenta and dopplers.
Gestational diabetes starts during pregnancy and ends with pregnancy. Mothers who are identified with gestational diabetes during pregnancy can still have healthy babies, all they need to do is to follow certain diet and stress free lifestyle to manage it and in some cases support of medications and insulin. There are some myths and facts like- diabetes during pregnancy can later lead to type 2 diabetes, which may not be true always.
Major reasons to develop diabetes during pregnancy are excessive weight gain before pregnancy, PCOS, working in odd shifts, stress, unhealthy eating habits and family history of diabetes.
Now there are advanced treatments and facilities that are available which can identify the disorder well in advance and solve the problem before it is too late. Individuals should go by such healthy practices other than believing in untrue facts and myths. Remember, a stress-free pregnancy is a healthy pregnancy.
(The doctor is a reproductive endocrinologist (Infertility) at Apollo Cradle, Hyderabad)