Pregnancy Diabetes Warning

Women should maintain a healthy weight before and during pregnancy, to prevent their children getting type 2 diabetes later in life.

One in five women are at risk of gestational diabetes when they're expecting. Most will have healthy babies but doctors say it can cause serious problems for the child if it isn't picked up. NHS Fife says approximately 2% to 7% of women are affected by the condition.

Diabetes UK is warning that the increasing rates of gestational diabetes could mean a health time bomb, with those children who go on to develop Type 2 diabetes later in life at higher risk of early death and health problems such as heart disease and kidney failure.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “It is well established that gestational diabetes is a serious health issue that can cause birth defects, stillbirth and complications for the mother. But it is also important that women understand that gestational diabetes leaves a frightening legacy, putting the child at increased risk of a serious health condition which, if poorly managed, can lead to complications such as kidney disease, stroke and amputation.

“Given that we know being overweight significantly increases risk of gestational diabetes, we need to get across the message to women that making sure they are a healthy weight is important for their child’s health and that this health benefit may stretch many years into the future.

“It is also important that women with gestational diabetes get the care and support they need, as the better they are able to manage their condition the better their baby’s chance of a long and healthy life. This is why we are today launching a new guide on gestational diabetes that helps women with the condition to navigate their way towards a healthy pregnancy and birth.”

Douglas Twenefour, Clinical Advisor at Diabetes UK and author of Diabetes UK’s ‘Gestational Diabetes’ guide, said: “Until now there has been very little accessible information for women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, but our new guide aims to redress that. Gestational diabetes is a serious condition which can be potentially dangerous for both mother and child. By giving mums-to-be all the information they need to help them manage their condition we aim to reassure them and help them to achieve safer and happier pregnancies, reducing the short-term and long-term risks to mother and child.”