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Infant of a Mother with DiabetesWhat is an infant of a mother with diabetes?An infant of a mother with diabetes is a baby who is born to a mother with diabetes. Because the mother has diabetes, the baby is at risk for problems. People with diabetes have high levels of sugar in their blood (hyperglycemia). Over time, this can lead to serious health problems. Keeping your blood sugar under control lowers your risk for complications. You can manage diabetes by eating a nutritious diet, getting regular exercise, and taking medicine. Two types of diabetes can happen in pregnancy. These are:
It’s important to manage your blood sugar during pregnancy. This can lower your baby’s risk for problems. What causes problems for an infant of a woman with diabetes?In pregnancy, the placenta gives a growing baby nutrients and water. It also makes hormones you need for healthy pregnancy. Some of these hormones can block insulin. This often starts at 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. As the placenta grows, it makes more of these hormones. This means that the pancreas must make more insulin. Normally, the pancreas is able to make enough insulin. If it doesn’t, gestational diabetes occurs. Pregnancy may also change the insulin needs of a woman who already has diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, you may need more insulin. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may need to start using insulin or you may need more insulin. An infant of a woman with diabetes is at risk for many problems. These issues can happen in pregnancy and after birth. The problems happen when your blood sugar isn’t controlled well. Who is at risk for gestational diabetes?The following factors increase your risk for gestational diabetes:
What are the symptoms in the infant of a mother with diabetes?During pregnancy, the following can happen to your baby:
The following problems may happen to your baby after he or she is born:
How is diabetes during pregnancy diagnosed?Your doctor will check you for diabetes during pregnancy. If you have risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as being overweight, your doctor will check you early in pregnancy. Your doctor may test you during your first checkup. Your healthcare provider will screen you for gestational diabetes between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. This screening is done using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). An OGTT checks a woman's blood sugar levels after she has sugar (glucose). You may have one of these tests:
How are pregnant women with diabetes and their infants treated?During pregnancy, your healthcare provider will watch you and your baby closely. You may be treated by a specialist who cares for pregnant women with diabetes. Controlling your blood sugar levels is a must. This is the best way to reduce your baby’s risks. You’ll likely need to do the following to care for your diabetes:
Your baby’s treatment depends on how well you controlled your blood sugar in the last part of pregnancy and during labor and delivery. Treatment will also depend on your child’s symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is. MonitoringYour baby’s healthcare provider may draw his or her blood. This will check your baby’s blood sugar, blood calcium, and other levels. This may be done through a heel stick, a needle in your baby's arm, or an umbilical catheter (a tube placed in your baby's umbilical cord). GlucoseYour baby may need a glucose and water mixture as an early feeding. Or your baby may need glucose given into a vein (intravenously or IV). Your baby’s healthcare provider will closely watch his or her blood sugar levels. This is done in case your baby’s blood sugar levels drop too low. Help with breathingYour baby may need oxygen or a breathing machine to breathe better. Your child may need extra care if he or she has birth defects or injuries. Your child may need to see a specialist. This depends on his or her condition. Can gestational diabetes be prevented?Caring for your diabetes well can lower your baby’s risks. Eating a nutritious diet, testing your blood sugar, and taking insulin can help you care for your condition. Having gestational diabetes raises your risk for diabetes later in life. If you had gestational diabetes, your healthcare provider will test you for diabetes after you give birth. This is often done 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born. Your healthcare provider will continue to check you for diabetes because of your risk. After birth, your child’s healthcare provider should also regularly check him or her for diabetes. An early diagnosis and treatment can lower his or her risk for problems. Key points about an infant of a mother with diabetesTwo types of diabetes can happen in pregnancy. One is gestational diabetes and the other is pre-gestational diabetes.
Next stepsTips to help you get the most from a visit to your child’s healthcare provider:
Which are signs and symptoms of withdrawal that might be seen in a postpartum client?Postpartum depression signs and symptoms may include:. Depressed mood or severe mood swings.. Excessive crying.. Difficulty bonding with your baby.. Withdrawing from family and friends.. Loss of appetite or eating much more than usual.. Inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much.. Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy.. How should a nurse screen the newborn of a mother with diabetes for hypoglycemia?Newborns at risk for hypoglycemia should have a blood test to measure blood sugar level frequently after birth. This will be done using a heel stick. The health care provider should continue taking blood tests until the baby's glucose level stays normal for about 12 to 24 hours.
Which complication would the nurse consider for a client with a fetus in a breech presentation?Complications. A major complication of breech presentation is cord prolapse (where the umbilical cord drops down below the presenting part of the baby, and becomes compressed). The incidence of cord prolapse is 1% in breech presentations, compared to 0.5% in cephalic presentations.
Which medication would the nurse identify as a potential cause for the formation of abnormally small eyes in the newborn if used during pregnancy?Causes and Risk Factors
Anophthalmia and microphthalmia can also be caused by taking certain medicines, like isotretinoin (Accutane®) or thalidomide, during pregnancy. These medicines can lead to a pattern of birth defects, which can include anophthalmia or microphthalmia.
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