June 27, 2001
Family Planning, Type 2
Question from Kampala, Uganda, East Africa:
I am a 33 year old, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three months ago, and I have been told that if anyone who has diabetes and gets pregnant will die. Is this true? Can someone with diabetes have a baby?
Answer:
Women rarely die from diabetes and pregnancy (particularly those with type�2 diabetes). Yes, you can have a baby. However, I would recommend that someone who is experienced with pregnancy and diabetes takes care of you.
OWJ
[Editor’s comment: In the “bad old days” (before about 1970), there was a high likelihood of complications from women with diabetes who were pregnant. However, in the early 1970s, it became commonplace for women to have tight control of their blood sugars before and during pregnancy, which has dramatically improved the outcomes. See Planning a pregnancy , at the Diabetes Monitor, for some additional thoughts.
WWQ]
