HHS HealthBeat (March 22, 2010)

Diabetes before pregnancy

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

Women who have diabetes before they became pregnant face special problems because the disease can affect their babies as well as them.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cynthia Moore:

"Uncontrolled diabetes during early pregnancy can cause the baby to have serious birth defects of the brain, the spine, the heart, or other organs." (8 seconds)

But Moore says a woman with pre-existing diabetes can have a healthy baby, if she plans and works with her doctor to keep the diabetes under control. Moore says the doctor can help to adjust diet, exercise programs and any medications as the woman goes through her pregnancy. The goal of careful control is to reduce the risk to mother and baby.

The issue was reviewed in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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: November 21, 2011