June 14, 2001
Gestational Diabetes
Question from New York, New York, USA:
How does gestational diabetes correlate to stillbirth? Is it something about the extra sugar that kills the baby? Is it the fact that women with gestational diabetes make bigger babies, who then can’t make it down the birth canal? In other words, would a planned Cesarean section reduce the risk of stillbirth in a baby born to a mother with gestational diabetes?
Answer:
Gestational diabetes is not as strongly associated with fetal death as is preexisting diabetes. There is a relationship between poor glucose control and fetal death. This is probably due to vascular injury to the placenta. With good glucose control and close fetal surveillance, the fetal death rate in women with diabetes is nearly the same as that in women without diabetes. A planned cesarean section just because of diabetes is not necessary. However, there may be other reasons to do a Cesarean section.
OWJ
