Maternal diabetes

It is important to remember that most babies born to women with diabetes are not born with birth

defects. However, high glucose levels during pregnancy increase the chance that a baby will be born with birth defects. High glucose levels have the most significant effect early in pregnancy, possibly before a woman knows she is pregnant. For pregnant women with poor diabetic control, the risk for a baby to be born with birth defects is about 6-10%; this is about twice the chance for

birth defects if the mother’s diabetes is well controlled. For those with extremely poor control in the first trimester, there may be up to a 20% risk for birth defects.

Some of the associated birth defects include spinal cord defects (spina bifida), heart defects, skeletal defects, and defects in the urinary, reproductive, and digestive systems. Finally, babies born to women with diabetes also have an increased chance of having breathing difficulties, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and jaundice (yellowish skin) at birth.