Diabetes During Pregnancy: 6 Birth Complications That Could Arise for Pregnant Moms by Mei Marcie

Babies born to women with either diabetes or gestational diabetes may be at a greater risk for birth complications. These complications, discovered in a study led by Dr. Basilio Pintuadi with the Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital in Milan, include:

• low blood sugar 
• malformations 
• born either too large or too small 
• jaundice 
• low levels of calcium and magnesium 

Moms are also at an increased risk of needing a C-section delivery. The study found that women with diabetes had a 36 times higher risk for having a baby with low blood sugar, while women with gestational diabetes were 10 times higher. Women with gestational diabetes had a 70 percent higher risk for having either a small or large baby, while women with diabetes had a six to eight times higher risk.

Control of diabetes is critical during pregnancy! Read more about this study here.