What birth defects can be caused by diabetes?

Main Findings

• Researchers saw the strongest associations between pre-existing diabetes and sacral agenesis (a birth defect of the lower spine), holoprosencephaly (a birth defect of the brain), and limb defects.
• Several types of congenital heart defects were also strongly linked to maternal pre-existing diabetes.

Does type 2 diabetes affect baby?

When your blood sugar is high, it causes the baby to be “overfed.” This can increase risks of shoulder injuries during delivery and increases the likelihood of a cesarean delivery, or C-section. Preterm birth. Women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes are more likely to give birth early than women without diabetes.

What are the risks of being pregnant with type 2 diabetes?

Babies born to women with diabetes are at risk of being born larger than average, or with a birth defect. They may also be born prematurely or even stillborn. They are also at risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the long term. These risks are greatly reduced if you keep your blood sugars under good control.

Can a pregnant woman with diabetes have a healthy baby?

Women who have type 1 diabetes can have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby, but it’s important to monitor diabetes complications that could worsen throughout pregnancy, such as high blood pressure, vision loss, and kidney disease.

Can diabetes cause Down syndrome?

There have been few human studies of the effect of diabetes mellitus or gestational diabetes on the risk of chromosomal anomalies, although a limited body of data suggests that there is an increased risk of Down’s syndrome among women with either preexisting diabetes or gestational diabetes (31, 32).

Can you have a healthy baby with diabetes?

Can high blood sugar harm my unborn baby?

High blood glucose levels during pregnancy can also increase the chance that your baby will be born too early, weigh too much, or have breathing problems or low blood glucose right after birth. High blood glucose also can increase the chance that you will have a miscarriage link or a stillborn baby.

Can a diabetic have a healthy baby?

Can diabetics have healthy babies?

Do diabetics have C sections?

A C-section is an operation to deliver the baby through the mother’s belly. A woman who has diabetes that is not well controlled has a higher chance of needing a C-section to deliver the baby. When the baby is delivered by a C-section, it takes longer for the woman to recover from childbirth.