Sue Bettenhausen, Diabetes Educator and Nurse at MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, Illinois wants women to better understand gestational diabetes and its impact on mother and baby. Only 4% of pregnancies in the U.S. today are impacted by gestational diabetes, but certain populations, such as Latinas, African Americans, Asians, older women and those with a history of big babies are at greater risk for the condition (up to 14%). New research has also shown that the father’s ethnicity is a significant factor in the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Nearly all pregnant women are tested for gestational diabetes at 28 weeks gestation with a glucose tolerance test. This simple test involves ingestion of a very sweet liquid and the subsequent monitoring of blood sugar levels. Women testing positive for gestational diabetes are educated about the importance of diet and exercise during pregnancy. In some cases, insulin may also be required to keep blood sugar within healthy levels for mother and baby.
Unfortunately the risk for the mother diagnosed with gestational diabetes doesn’t end when the baby is born. Research over the past several years has demonstrated that women with gestational diabetes are at a 20-65% increased risk of developing Type II diabetes in the 5-15 years following pregnancy. Put in other terms, nearly 20% of women with gestational diabetes today will develop Type II diabetes.
Diabetes educators, like Sue Bettenhausen at MetroSouth Medical Center, are working hard to reverse this trend. By rigorously adopting a healthy lifestyle; losing the baby fat quickly, eating fruits and vegetables, staying active, and keeping soda and sweetened juices at bay, mothers with gestational diabetes can beat the risk of Type II diabetes.
Under the leadership of Sue Bettenhausen, MetroSouth Medical Center is working to develop an on-line diabetes resource center. The project should be completed by November 2010, in time for the annual celebration of American Diabetes Month and the Stop Diabetes campaign.
If you have any questions regarding your risk for gestational diabetes or Type II diabetes, please let us know by responding to the blog below.
