
August 22, 2001
Complications, Family Planning
Question from Worth, Illinois, USA:
If someone with diabetes has very early signs of kidney problems, and keeps the hemoglobin A1c where it should be, my understanding is that problems can be slowed or stopped from getting any worse. Will being pregnant and having diabetes, cause more kidney damage because pregnancy is hard on anyone’s body?
Answer:
If you have mild kidney disease and good glucose control then pregnancy will most likely not cause any further deterioration in kidney function. However, things can happen such as severe pre-eclampsia, which may result in irreversible damage to the kidney. I have never seen anyone with mild kidney disease progress to failure over the course of a pregnancy.
OWJ