March 22, 2001
Gestational Diabetes
Question from New York, USA:
I have gestational diabetes and I am about 37 weeks along. My sonogram showed the baby was at 92nd percentile and weighed about 7 pounds 11 ounces already! I am diet controlled and have mildly elevations of blood sugar occasionally, but apparently these mildly elevations have already done harm. I am very concerned about what kind of bad things could happen to a baby this size other than the difficulties I might encounter during delivery. Could you please list all the cons associated with a baby this size? Also, is a baby this big has a higher chance of sudden infant death syndrome or slower brain development? I’m so depressed I don’t know what to think anymore.
Answer:
The main complication is probably hypoglycemia in the newborn. However, the pediatricians should be prepared for this. The baby may need an intravenous line for glucose supplementation until its insulin production has decreased.
I cannot say if there is any increased risk of SIDS or brain development just because the baby is big.
OWJ
