How Being Diabetic During Pregnancy Can Affect Your Child

When the body is unable to produce enough insulin, a person may develop diabetes. When a woman is pregnant her body may stop producing enough insulin. This results in the pregnant woman developing gestational diabetes.

Complications of Gestational Diabetes

For women with gestational diabetes there are some complications that may develop if she does not control her blood sugar levels. One of the most common side effects of gestational diabetes is babies that are larger in size.

Once the baby is born he/she may have low blood sugar and will need to be monitored during the first few days after birth. Premature births, preeclampsia, as well as other health related issues may arise as well.

How Diabetes May Affect a Child’s Brain

There are now studies that show how diabetes may affect children later in life. Women that do not control their blood sugar during pregnancy may affect the child’s memory and the damage that is done may not be reversible.

An ongoing study conducted by the University of Minnesota has shown that children born to diabetic mothers have consistent issues with their memory. The researchers believe that this may be caused by damage to the hippocampus which develops during the final trimester of pregnancy.

There is also new information being released that shows that pregnant women who develop gestational diabetes are more likely to have a child diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). However, this study does not mean that autism is common for children that are born to women who develop gestational diabetes.

In addition, there have been findings that show that when women have had good control over their diabetes while pregnant tend to have children who perform as well in school as their peers or even better. Women who did not have good control over their diabetes tend to have children who perform poorly in school and get lower grades when compared to those children who had mothers who did not have diabetes.

The Importance of Controlling Diabetes During Pregnancy

These studies show the importance of controlling blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Diabetes control before and during pregnancy will lower the risk of birth defects, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, low blood sugar for the newborn, and having babies with a larger birth weight.

The most important findings of these studies are that women who are pregnant need to be educated on controlling their blood sugar levels. Pregnant women who receive appropriate education on the subject are more likely to follow the recommended diet and exercise program, which will help keep their blood sugar levels in check.

Women who do not receive education on the disease and how to control it are more likely to not follow an appropriate diet, which can result in many health issues not only for themselves, but for their babies as well.

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Fish is Important for Children

These days parents are bombarded with information on nutrition for children. The news is full of stories about children being overweight, eating too much junk food, not eating enough fruit and vegetables, missing out on calcium and missing out on iron. There are so many different ‘experts’ saying so many different things that it’s no wonder parents can become confused about what they should be feeding their children. But at least there is one food they can be sure about – the outstanding health benefits of regularly eating fish.

 

Fish is one of the few foods the experts agree on. All the research shows that fish is a rich source of many of the nutrients needed for young bodies as well as playing an important role in helping to prevent many of the diseases of later life.

Fish is rich in protein, the nutrient the body needs to build strong healthy muscles and bones as well as to help repair the scrapes and scratches that are part and parcel of growing up. Protein is needed by every part of the body – skin, hair, nails, heart, lungs as well as muscles and it is a vital nutrient for healthy development. Children need to eat a protein food at lunch and dinner and fish can be a very healthy choice.

Apart from protein fish are also rich in several essential vitamins and minerals. All fish are rich in selenium, iodine and zinc. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect the body from toxins and may play a role in helping to prevent cancer. Iodine is essential for a healthy metabolism and zinc helps to boost the immune system and fight off coughs and colds.

The oil rich fish (salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines) are all rich in vitamins A and D. Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and eyes and vitamin D is important in helping the body to absorb the calcium needed for growing bones. Normally we make vitamin D when we expose our skin to sunlight but if children are not outside very often or if they use sun-block in the sun, they may not be making all the vitamin D they need. 

Oil-rich fish is one of the few foods that contain vitamin D so it is good to encourage children to eat oil-rich fish at least once a week. All fish contain B vitamins, the vitamin that helps the body to release the energy from food. Fish contain lots of vitamin B12 which is vital in growing new blood cells.

One of the most important nutrients found in oil-rich fish is omega-3 fats. These special fats cannot be made in the body so it is important that we get them from the food we eat. 

Omega-3 fats are particularly important for children as they play an essential role in the early development of the brain and nerves. Almost 60% of the brain is made up of fat and half of this is omega 3 fats. While in the womb the baby gets omega-3 fats from the foods the mother eats, but after birth they need to get them from breast or fortified formula milk. As they move away from breast or formula milk, children need to start getting more omega-3 fats from their food to allow the brain to continue to develop and grow. 

There is a great deal of research into the potential role of omega-3 fats in protecting memory and in preventing and treating conditions like dyslexia and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Diseases like heart disease are becoming more common and omega-3 fats help to protect against heart disease. Getting children into a good habit of eating fish will help not only to encourage healthy growth and development but also to help protect against some of the diseases of adult life.

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