Diabetes and Pregnancy

Summary

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. When you are pregnant, high blood sugar levels are not good for your baby.

About seven out of every 100 pregnant women in the United States get gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that happens for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after you have your baby. But it does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes later on. Your child is also at risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Most women get a test to check for diabetes during their second trimester of pregnancy. Women at higher risk may get a test earlier.

If you already have diabetes, the best time to control your blood sugar is before you get pregnant. High blood sugar levels can be harmful to your baby during the first weeks of pregnancy – even before you know you are pregnant. To keep you and your baby healthy, it is important to keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible before and during pregnancy.

Either type of diabetes during pregnancy increases the chances of problems for you and your baby. To help lower the chances talk to your health care team about:

• A meal plan for your pregnancy
• A safe exercise plan
• How often to test your blood sugar
• Taking your medicine as prescribed. Your medicine plan may need to change during pregnancy.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Am I at Risk for Gestational Diabetes? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Find an Expert

• American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• NIDDK Information Clearinghouses and Health Information Center National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• Blood Glucose Test National Library of Medicine
• Diabetes Tests National Library of Medicine
• Diabetes Tests and Diagnosis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Glucose in Urine Test National Library of Medicine

Statistics and Research

• Blood Test May Identify Gestational Diabetes Risk in First Trimester Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Breastfeeding May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk among Women with Gestational Diabetes, NIH Study Suggests National Institutes of Health
• Daily Folic Acid Supplement May Reduce Risk of Gestational Diabetes Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• High Blood Sugar during Pregnancy Ups Risk of Mother’s Type 2 Diabetes, Child’s Obesity National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetes, Gestational National Institutes of Health

Start Here

• Diabetes and Pregnancy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Gestational Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes and Pregnancy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Living With

• Diabetic Diet: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Patient Handouts

• Gestational diabetes Medical Encyclopedia
• Gestational diabetes – self-care Medical Encyclopedia
• Gestational diabetes diet Medical Encyclopedia
• Glucose screening and tolerance tests during pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia
• Infant of diabetic mother Medical Encyclopedia

Genetics

• Gestational diabetes: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Treatments and Therapies

• Gestational Diabetes: Treatment & Perspective American Diabetes Association
• Metformin and Pregnancy Organization of Teratology Information Specialists

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• NIH Research May Help Predict Gestational Diabetes Earlier in Pregnancy

Journal Articles

• Gestational diabetes

Related Issues

• Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases