By James K. Robinson
The following article makes reference to an extensive
gestational diabetes study reported in February, 2010 that concluded the
currently accepted gestational diabetes blood sugar levels are not safe for
baby and mother and that they should be revised downwards.
Current recommended blood glucose target levels during
pregnancy
Meanwhile, for the purpose of this piece, cited here are
current gestational blood sugar levels obtained from publications of the
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, a department of the National
Institute of Health, and from publications of the Canadian Diabetes
Association's Clinical Practice Guidelines for 2008. The values for the United
States are given in mg/dL, meaning milligrams per deciliter, while most other
countries use mmol/L, meaning millimols per liter.
Fasting blood sugar levels should not be above 95 mg/dL,
which is 5.3 mmol/L
One hour after a meal they should not be above 140 mg/dL,
which is 7.8 mmol/L
Two hours after a meal they should not be above 120 mg/dL, which
is 6.7 mmol/L
The Canadian Diabetes Association source states that the A1c
level for most pregnant women should not be greater than 6%. A1c levels provide
a measure of blood sugars over the prior approximately 12- week period.
A1c levels are determined by a laboratory analysis after a
blood sample is taken by a registered clinic. Other daily blood sugar readings
can be obtained from a self-administered blood test using an appropriate blood
glucose meter.
There is much that a newly pregnant woman must be aware of
in taking care of her own health and that of her developing child and high on
that list would be the choices of nutritious foods.
One of the considerations regarding specific food choices
for the pregnant woman, is to take into account the effect of a food item on
her blood glucose levels, not something that most people are aware of, but with
the growing incidence of diabetes in our world today, it pays to know and
understand some of the risks that higher than normal blood sugar levels can pose.
And it could be easy for the symptoms of gestational diabetes to go unnoticed
as the body is going through many changes as the pregnancy progresses.
The condition of persistent elevated blood glucose levels
that occurs in about 5 to 7 percent of pregnant women is a temporary form of
diabetes called Gestational Diabetes that ends after a the birth of the baby.
Although not common compared with normal diabetes, the condition is being
diagnosed in increasing numbers and for some of those who do become diabetic it
does increase the risk of developing, later in life, the full version of
diabetes known as Type-2 and also increases the risk of developing
cardiovascular disease after pregnancy.
Also, some women already suffer from diabetes when they
become pregnant and those diabetics definitely face their own set of special
problems that carry serious implications for the mother-to-be and for her fetus
during pregnancy and perhaps for the longer term beyond, after the birth of the
baby. In these cases, the medical professionals are well prepared with
established guidelines to monitor and care for the diabetic who becomes
pregnant and this lessens the risk to mother and baby and helps prevent the
development of diabetic complications during pregnancy.
Important new conclusions that currently accepted blood
sugar levels are not safe for baby and mother
In late February of this year, 2010, it was reported by the
Northwestern University News Center in Chicago that an extensive study by a
panel of 50 experts, coordinated by researchers at the university's Feinberg
School of Medicine, concluded that the blood sugar levels considered normal
should be revised downward, that currently accepted levels are not safe. This
would increase the number of pregnant women facing the possibility of
gestational diabetes by two or three times.
The study, to be published in the March issue of the
American Diabetes Association's magazine Diabetes Care, involved medical
histories of over 23 thousand women from nine countries. The lead author of the
study, Boyd Metzger, M.D. a professor of Metabolism and Nutrition at the
Feinberg School, said "Our research represents an examination of the risks
and a consensus about how high a level of risks needs to reach before a
diagnosis is made and treatment should be considered."
Anyone with diabetes must be under the care of a doctor
Health authorities report a growing incidence globally of
gestational diabetes and even in the United States I have seen reference to
numbers suggesting they are almost double the percentage of 7 percent cited
above. As in all forms of diabetes and pre-diabetes, the individual must be
under the care of a doctor and supported by an effective health care team.
Excellent pre-natal healthcare and advice is readily available to most in North
America, as it is in most other developed nations of the world.
Early diagnosis and treatment of even the mildest form of
gestational diabetes is important because it can help prevent or lower the
possibility of more serious complications developing later. Treatment will most
likely involve the adoption of suitable dietary plan for all meals and snacks
together with an exercise routine - which is usually beneficial in all
pregnancies - and maybe the monitoring of daily glucose levels by a simple
self-administered blood test using a hand held meter the same way that regular
diabetics do.
We hear nowadays of so many larger babies being born and the
need for caesarian surgery. And gestational diabetes, if not treated properly,
leads to larger babies, sometime already obese at birth, with often complicated
deliveries and a higher risk of birth defects and long-term health problems.
The wonders, the thrills and the excitement in the miracle
of the birth of a baby should not be impaired with the complications of
gestational diabetes, every necessary step should be taken to prevent or
minimize the condition. It is all about maintaining normal blood glucose levels
Author's Comment:
I am a diabetic, writing from the perspective of a patient
for my fellow diabetics and others.
So for more information on a wide range of diabetes related
subject matter, please check out the List of Topics provided on my blogsite by
clicking on the following links for information about Normal Blood Sugar Levels
[http://diabetesinformationexchange.com/uncategorized/explanation-and-description/what-are-normal-blood-sugar-levels/]
and considerations of a Diabetic Menu Plan
[http://diabeticmenuguide.com/advice/about-diabetic-recipes-and-meal-plans/].
At the end of both pages there is a link to the full "List of
Topics". Worth a visit, check it out!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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