How Your Doctor Treats Gestational Diabetes Could Affect Your Child’s Life

How Your Doctor Treats Gestational Diabetes Could Affect Your Child’s Life

Gestational diabetes is a complication of pregnancy that affects how your body uses sugar. Doctors are not sure exactly what causes gestational diabetes, but fluctuating hormones in both your body and in the placenta can block the effectiveness of naturally secreted insulin and cause elevated sugar levels. When this happens, both you and your baby are at a higher risk of complications during birth. The good news, of course, is that gestational diabetes, properly known as gestational diabetes mellitus, is manageable and treatable. While Mom may be more susceptible to developing diabetes after pregnancy, the odds of a successful delivery are higher than ever before.

Potentially dangerous drugs

Gestational diabetes mellitus is considered Type II diabetes, in which the body manufactures insulin but does not use it properly to control sugar levels. There are many different types of drugs that are available to treat Type II diabetes, all with their own merits. However, a new study has linked Glyburide to a higher risk of complications in newborns. The study, which included 9,000 women, looked at the differences between natural insulin therapy and prescription Glyburide during pregnancy. The findings are nothing short of incredible; when pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes were treated with Glyburide, the risk of complications during pregnancy went through the roof. According to the study, infants whose mothers received glyburide during pregnancy, were:

• • 41% more likely to be admitted to NICU

• • 40% more likely to have hypoglycemia

• • 63% more likely to suffer respiratory distress

• • 50% more likely to be delivered via cesarean than a natural birth

The study concluded that, “Newborns from privately insured mothers treated with glyburide were more likely to experience adverse outcomes than those from mothers treated with insulin. Given the widespread use of glyburide, further investigation of these differences in pregnancy outcomes is a public health priority.” If you or your spouse was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy and were treated with glyburide, and your child suffered birth defects or complications, we can help protect you and your child. Crandall & Pera Law has helped thousands of medical malpractice victims throughout Ohio and Kentucky secure a better future. Please contact us to find out more.