December 13, 1999
Family Planning, Hypoglycemia
Question from Surrey, England:
My sister-in-law is having some symptoms in early pregnancy which sound, to me, like hypoglycaemia (I’ve been type 1 for nearly 30 years, so know the symptoms). I’ve suggested to her that this could be reactive hypoglycaemia, and she should call her midwife tomorrow and explain the symptoms (she has an appointment for 5 weeks time). My sister-in-law has some questions: Can reactive hypoglycaemia in early pregnancy prefigure diabetes in pregnancy and/or diabetes in later life? Can reactive hypoglycaemia in early pregnancy affect the baby? Given that the father is the sibling of a type 1, does reactive hypoglycaemia in the mother increase the baby’s chances of developing diabetes (any type) later in life?
Answer:
Before you pursue this any further, I would suggest that your sister check her blood sugar during one of the episodes. As far as I know, unless one is taking insulin or diabetes pills, true hypoglycemia is very rare. Early pregnancy itself can result in symptoms as you describe.
OWJ
