What risks does pregestational diabetes pose to the baby?
Poorly controlled pregestational diabetes poses a number of risks to the baby. These risks can be greatly reduced with good blood-sugar control starting before pregnancy. • Birth defects: Women with pregestational diabetes are 3 to 4 times more likely than nondiabetic women to have babies with serious birth defects. These include heart defects; neural tube defects (NTDs) (birth defects of the brain or spinal cord); oral clefts; and kidney, gastrointestinal and limb defects (3). However, diabetic women with good blood-sugar control before and during conception have a similar risk of birth defects as women without diabetes (3). • Miscarriage: High blood-sugar levels around the time of conception may increase the risk of miscarriage (1). • Premature birth (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy) (1): Premature babies are at increased risk for health problems in the newborn period as well as lasting disabilities. • Macrosomia: Women with poorly controlled diabetes are at increased risk for
