Pre-diabetes incidence in pregnant women doubles

According to a recent study conducted in California, the number of pregnant women who suffered from pre-existing diabetes has soared by 50% in the last seven-year period. The trend means higher health risks for both mothers and children.
Furthermore, the study revealed that the number of teenagers with diabetes who gave birth increased by five times during the study. Those mothers who fail to control diabetes during pregnancy increase risks of miscarriage, and babies born to these mothers apparently face greater risk of birth defects.
The study, which was conducted at Kaiser Permanente (a health care provider in California), focused on health records from over 175,000 ethically diverse women. Rates for pregnancy with pre-existing diabetes remained low, despite increasing in the last ten years. Pre-existing diabetics were more common amongst Asians, Hispanics and Blacks, the study commented.
Lead author Jean Lawrence was reported as commenting: “There are things women can do before they become pregnant that will increase the likelihood of them having a healthy baby.”