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Troubling Trend: Diabetic Women Having More Babies

Posted on: Monday, 28 April 2008, 06:10 CDT

The rate of women entering pregnancy with diabetes more than doubled over six years among women involved in a study, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Overall, 175,000 ethnically diverse teenage and adult women who gave birth in Kaiser hospitals in Southern California from 1999 to 2005 were studied. Researchers said the rates of those giving birth while having diabetes has drastically increased.

This was likely due to the increased levels of diabetes and obesity in the US, researchers said.

The apparent trend poses a potential threat for expecting mothers and their children. Children of mothers with diabetes have noticeable affects to fetus development from early pregnancy.

"It is really important for women with diabetes to plan their pregnancies and seek advice from their healthcare provider before they become pregnant," said Dr. Jean Lawrence of healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena, California, and the study’s lead researcher.

"Women who have a difficult time controlling their blood sugar have a higher risk of miscarriage or stillbirth. They also have a high risk of having a baby with a birth defect," said Lawrence.

Exposure to high blood sugar level can also have serious birth defects, including heart defects, Lawrence said.

In 1999, 245 pregnant women were reported to have pre-existing diabetes. By 2005, there were 537. That translates to a rate that rose from 8 per 1,000 pregnancies to 18 per 1,000.

The rate also increased the greatest among 13- to 19-year-olds giving birth. Figures increased from about 1 per 1,000 pregnancies to 5.5 per 1,000 during the seven-year period.

"There are things women can do before they become pregnant that will increase the likelihood of them having a healthy baby," said lead author Lawrence.

For example, overweight women are encouraged to lose extra weight before becoming pregnant, and a healthy diet and exercise routine are highly recommended.

"By the time a woman knows she is pregnant, the (baby's) heart is already developed," said Marie Frazzitta, program manager of a special program to help expecting mothers manage their diabetes at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York. At that point, "there's not much we can do."

About 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes, and 1.5 million new cases were diagnosed in people age 20 and older in 2005, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Most have type 2, which is closely linked to obesity and lack of exercise.

"With the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity in society, it is very important that we start addressing this issue," Lawrence said.

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On the Net:

Diabetes Care

American Diabetes Association

Source: redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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