I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and while I know that puts me at risk for diabetes later in life, what are the risks for my baby?
Babies born to women with gestational diabetes traditionally tend to be large babies (defined as more than 3.5 kg in weight). This is called macrosomia and can result in difficulty in delivery, apart from making the baby more prone to obesity and diabetes later on in life. Other problems associated with gestational diabetes in the baby include shoulder dystocia, again leading to a difficult delivery, respiratory distress and occasionally congenital abnormalities. However the good news is that with good control of diabetes all these are preventable. In one of our studies we showed that with proper care (exercise, diet, medication), women with gestational diabetes can deliver babies just like those born to women without gestational diabetes.
I am 28 years old. My BMI falls into the overweight category (I had a childhood history of obesity), but I exercise daily and eat healthy. Am I still at risk for diabetes?
Your risk of diabetes depends on whether you have a family history of diabetes or not. If you have a strong family history of diabetes, you still have some risk of diabetes. However, this risk is mitigated to a large extent by regular exercise and healthy eating. If you can lose a little weight, that risk comes down drastically. If you don’t have a family history of diabetes, then the risk of diabetes is quite low. However, certainly, the risk for diabetes is much more in those who are overweight and don’t do any exercise or follow any diet.
Dr V Mohan is a diabetologist based in Chennai, who heads a WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and an International Diabetes Federation Centre of Education.
Nothing in this column is intended to be, and is not, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek independent advice from a licensed practitioner if you have any questions regarding a medical condition. Email us with your questions at mp_health@thehindu.co.in