November 11, 2004
A1c (Glycohemoglobin, HgbA1c), Pregnancy
Question from India:
I am 34 years old and planning my first baby. My A1c has come down from 11 to 9 to 7.5 (most recent reading for the last four months) in three years. My doctor suggests that I lower my A1c to between 6 and 6.5 before conception, which will take time. I am debating the tradeoff between risks due to age and diabetes in conceiving. Would there be a significant reduction in risks by reducing my A1c to 6.5 to from 7.5 or should I plan pregnancy at the 7.5 level? I fear that 6.5 is may not achievable by me and I may have wasted time.
Answer:
Everything is relative. Ideally, you should have your hemoglobin A1c in the normal range before conception. The closer to normal it is, the less risk there is for the baby. However, even at a hemoglobin A1c of 7.5% your risk is fairly low (less than 15%). You should also be taking a folic acid supplement prior to conception and during the first eight weeks. I recommend a total of 5 mg per day.
OWJ
