HHS HealthBeat (October 14, 2008)

Diabetes and a healthy pregnancy

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A woman who has diabetes can have a safe and healthy pregnancy, but doctors consider this a high-risk pregnancy, so it takes more care.

To help women manage that care, the National Institutes of Health issued a booklet, ``For Women with Diabetes: Your Guide to Pregnancy.’’  The booklet gives women information on how to eat during pregnancy, how to be physically active, and information on medical tests, including tests to help women control their blood glucose – their blood sugar.

At the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Dr. Judith Fradkin:

``It’s a lot of work to take care of yourself. It’s a team approach. But it is absolutely worth it, because both the health of the mother and the health of the baby can really be improved by good control.’’ (12 seconds)

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October, 14 2008