Diabetes Mellitus and Pregnancy - Risks For The Child

Risks For The Child

The risks of maternal diabetes to the developing fetus include Miscarriage, growth restriction, growth acceleration, fetal obesity (macrosomia), mild neurological deficits., polyhydramnios and birth defects.

Mild neurological and cognitive deficits in offspring, including increased symptoms of ADHD, impaired fine and gross motor skills, and impaired explicit memory performance, have been linked to pregestational Type I diabetes and gestational diabetes. Prenatal iron deficiency has been suggested as a possible mechanism for these problems.

Birth defects are not currently an identified risk for the child of women with gestational diabetes, since those primarily occur in the latter part of pregnancy, where vital organs already have taken their most essential shape.

Still, having diabetes type I or II has a 2-3 fold increase in risk of birth defects. The cause is e.g. oxidative stress, by activating protein kinase C and lead to apoptosis of some cells.