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Blood Sugar Testing Recommended for All Pregnant Women

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If you are pregnant, your doctor should order a blood sugar test even if you've never been diagnosed with diabetes. That is the new recommendation from the Endocrine Society. The group released a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) aimed at helping doctors take better care of women during pregnancy.

The CPG recommends that all women who have never been diagnosed with diabetes should be tested at their first prenatal exam or within the first 13 weeks of their pregnancy.

Dr. Ian Blumer from the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, is chair of the task force that authored the guideline. "Many women have type 2 diabetes but may not know it," Blumer said.

"Because untreated diabetes can harm both the pregnant woman and the fetus, it is important that testing for diabetes be done early on in pregnancy so that if diabetes is found appropriate steps can be immediately undertaken to keep both the woman and her fetus healthy."

Diabetes is a condition that results when blood sugar levels are too high. When we eat, food is converted to sugar which acts as a source of fuel for the cells.

Insulin is a hormone that acts as a key to open cells so they can accept sugar from the bloodstream. When insulin doesn’t work correctly or when the cells don’t respond to insulin, excess sugar accumulates in the blood.

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. Hormones in the placenta that help support the healthy growth of the baby can interfere with the work of insulin in the mother, causing excess sugar to accumulate in her blood.

Gestational diabetes can cause serious health problems. Pregnant women with high blood sugar can develop dangerously high blood pressure and are at higher risk of premature delivery.

Excess sugar in mom's blood can also cause the developing baby to gain extra weight which can cause problems during delivery. High blood sugar in mom can also result in dangerous drops in blood sugar in the baby soon after birth, and can cause jaundice and breathing problems.

Studies show that as many as one out of five pregnant women may have gestational diabetes, but only 25 percent of those women are diagnosed so they can be treated.

Gestational diabetes can be treated using medically approved adjustments to nutrition and up to 30 minutes of exercise each day. If this treatment is not effective, medications to help lower blood sugar can be added.

Other recommendations in the CPG include:

• Oral blood sugar tests 6-12 weeks after delivery to make sure a woman with gestational diabetes does not continue to have diabetes or prediabetes.

• Ongoing testing for women who had gestational diabetes in a prior pregnancy, especially before another pregnancy.

• Detailed eye exams for women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes to check for diabetic retinopathy, a serious eye condition caused by excess sugar in the blood. If damage is found in the retina, it should be treated before the woman becomes pregnant.

If you are pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant and have questions about your risk of gestational diabetes, talk to your health care provider.

Sources:

Science Daily. Experts Recommend Universal Diabetes Testing for Pregnant Women at First Prenatal Visit. Web. November 5, 2013.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131105131904.htm

Hormone Health Network. Gestational Diabetes. Web. November 5, 2013.
http://www.hormone.org/questions-and-answers/2012/gestational-diabetes

American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Basics. Web. November 5, 2013.
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/gestational/what-is-gestational-...

Reviewed November 6, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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