New research has discovered a connection between high blood sugar levels in early pregnancy and an infant's possibility of getting congenital heart defects. Though healthiness risks for children of mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes condition have been studied well, this is a groundbreaking research showing a connection between mom's levels of blood sugar during early pregnancy and baby heart defects.
For the analysis, researchers measured the levels of blood sugar of over 19,000 wild women who are in their first trimester. After measuring and studying the findings, the study found out that for each 10 milligrams for every deciliter rise in blood sugar, the possibility of giving birth to a baby with congenital heart problem increase to roughly 8 percent.
Researchers said that the connection between increase blood sugar levels during early pregnancy and infant heart defect was higher than the projecting ability of oral glucose tolerance test. This test alerts doctors to the chance of gestational diabetes which is diabetes occurring during pregnancy.
The research could not verify the cause and effect, though. However, the findings of the investigation have shown an insightful effect on how wild women are treated and screened for diabetes during pregnancy, according to Dr. Barry Goldberg, a chief officer of pediatric cardiology in Northwell Health's Southside Hospital at Bay Shore, New York, who studied the research.
A 2014 analysis made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that the presence of gestational diabetes is as high as 9.2 percent. Pregnant moms who were never diagnosed with diabetes before however have high blood sugar during early pregnancy are considered to have gestational diabetes.
Health experts noted that if a pregnant woman has gestational diabetes, she might be treated with balanced diet, proper medication and, in few cases, insulin. However, Dr. Goldberg said that despite good control of the pregnant woman's blood sugar, the risk of congenital heart defect stays on the rise.
The new research confirms that connection, according to Dr. Mitchel Kramer. "Though more studies are needed, this study explicitly calls for careful blood sugar control before pregnancy and during early pregnancy to decrease the likelihood of the development of congenital heart disease in the newborn," Medical Express quoted Dr. Kramer as saying.
