What can happen to the baby if the mothers blood glucose levels stay high during pregnancy?
If a mother’s blood glucose levels stay high during pregnancy the baby’s pancreas will overproduce insulin to bring it’s own blood glucose levels down. When the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut the baby’s pancreas cannot shut off the supply of insulin quickly enough and the baby can go into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) very quickly. The baby’s brain must have glucose and the hypoglycemia can cut off the brains supply of glucose. Poorly controlled pregnant women can also have large (11 or 12 pound) babies whose lungs are not fully developed.
