New Delhi : Diabetes is a particularly dangerous condition for pregnant women, warn doctors in the city. They aren’t talking about gestational diabetes  but about diabetic women who get pregnant.Blood sugar that is not well controlled in a pregnant woman with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes could lead to problems for the woman and the baby.

According to them the risk of abortion and foetal abnormalities goes up considerably if the mother has pre existing diabetes. “These days out of 100 pregnant women at least 5% to 7% have diabetes and we are not talking of gestational diabetes. Women with diabetes who get pregnant have a higher risk of foetal malformation and abortion compared to others including those with gestational diabetes,” said Dr Ramesh Goyal, consultant diabetologist at Apollo Hospital.

The organs of the baby form during the first two months of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant. Blood sugar that is not in control can affect those organs while they are being formed and cause serious birth defects in the developing baby, such as those of the brain, spine, and heart.

He said diabetes also increases the chances of a cesarean delivery apart from impacting the development of heart and brain of the foetus.

Dr Goyal said it is a double whammy for such women as on the one hand diabetes forces them to control their calorie intake while being pregnant means they have to ensure adequate calorie intake to help nourish the growing foetus.

“There is also the social practice in India were pregnant women are fed calorie rich food. This is particularly dangerous for diabetic pregnant women as she needs to ensure a balanced diet that will not spike her sugar levels nor lead to foetal malnourishment,” said Dr Goyal.