HEALTHIER YOU: Sugar (for) babies?
November 5, 2017 by Las Vegas Black Image Magazine
Filed under Conversation, Health
BY DR. ANNETTE MAYES, OB/GYN
DR. ANNETTE MAYE
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with friends and family, who often gather in our homes for a tremendous meal of our most culturally celebrated foods. That includes dessert: sweet potato pies, peach cobblers, bread puddings, red velvet cake, and caramel cakes just to mention a few.
The enticement can be strong when we’re trying to satisfy our sweet tooth — but moderation is always the key.
Expectant mothers should be especially cognizant of daily sugar intake, to protect themselves and their unborn children from health issues caused by diabetes. There are two ways that a women can get diabetes when pregnant. The first is called gestational diabetes, which is high blood sugar that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy; the other is type 1 diabetes discovered before pregnancy begins.
Mothers-to-be should be aware that if diabetic conditions are not well controlled during pregnancy, their babies will also be exposed to high blood sugar levels. This can affect the baby and the mom during the pregnancy, at the time of birth, and after birth.
Infants who are born to mothers with diabetes are often larger than other babies. Larger infants make vaginal birth harder. This can increase the risk for nerve injuries and other trauma during birth.
The infant is more likely to have periods of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) shortly after birth, and during the first few days of life. Mothers with poorly controlled diabetes are also more likely to miscarry or have stillborn babies.
All infants who are born to mothers with diabetes should be tested for low blood sugar even if they have no symptoms. Low blood sugar in babies that does not go away is usually treated with fluids containing sugar (glucose) and water given through the vein. And in severe cases, if the baby needs large amounts of sugar, the fluid and glucose must be given through an umbilical vein for several days.
So, as we give thanks, let’s watch our sugar intake.
For additional information, contact the Las Vegas All Women’s Care Offices at (702) 522-9640. Or visit us at 700 Shadow Lane No. 165 (1st floor) in Las Vegas.
