Gestational Diabetes Increase Risks of Cerebral Palsy in Children

During pregnancy, usually around the 24th week—many women develop Gestational Diabetes. Between 2 and 10 percent of expectant mothers develop this condition, making it one of the most common health problems during pregnancy. A pregnant woman diagnosed as this condition should need to follow advice from doctors regarding to reducing blood sugar levels, since some risk factors from Gestational Diabetes can increase risks of complications to the baby, one of the possible ones is Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a congenital disease usually caused by pregnancy complications. It doesn’t typically occurs due to Gestational Diabetes. But being diagnosed as Gestational Diabetes, especially in poorly controlled cases, it can increase children’s risk of Gestational Diabetes.

How does Gestational Diabetes increase chances of Cerebral Palsy? How to reduce associated risks? Generally speaking, multiple risk factors will increase the incidence rate. First risk factor is family history. Children born to family with genetic traits will have a greatly increased chance of getting cerebral palsy.

During pregnancy, attacks from such infections as Rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, syphilis and herpes simplex virus may cause congenital infection or deformity to the baby. During pregnancy, some risk factors, such as hypoxemia and nutritional disorders, may indirectly cause occurrence of Cerebral Palsy. Women with Gestational Diabetes are more prone to giving birth to macrosomia, retarded fetus growth, and fetus deformity, especially if their Diabetes is poorly controlled. The occurrence of Cerebral Palsy is also associated to central nervous system infections, such as acute encephalitis, meningitis, sepsis, etc, those can cause cerebral tissue hypoxia and increase possibilities of Cerebral Palsy to the children.

Having Gestational Diabetes means the mother should be under careful management by an expert doctor to control Diabetes. It is suggested all women should be screened for Gestational Diabetes between 24th and 28th weeks’ gestation using a gestational Diabetes screening tests. For women with multiple risk factors, this screening test should be done during the first trimester, then again the second and third trimester so as to reduce potential risks.