What is diabetic mother syndrome?

If you have diabetes and are pregnant, high blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby. Your baby may grow too large. This can cause problems during the birth. Your baby also may be born with low blood sugar. Sometimes these problems can occur when women get diabetes while they are pregnant (gestational diabetes).

With treatment, most women who have diabetes or get diabetes during pregnancy are able to control their blood sugar and give birth to healthy babies. Your doctor can help you manage your blood sugar.

Most babies born to mothers who have diabetes do not have problems. If your baby does have problems, such as low blood sugar, your baby can be treated.

Your baby may have problems such as:

• Being large at birth.
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
• A yellow tint to the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice).
• Trouble breathing.

Your doctor will closely watch your baby after birth. This is to make sure there are no problems, such as low blood sugar.

A baby with low blood sugar will be fed more often. The baby may be given glucose (sugar) through a tube that goes into a vein (I.V.). When your baby is able to get enough milk, their blood sugar levels should become normal. Your doctor will check your baby's blood sugar levels.

A baby who has trouble breathing will get treatments such as extra oxygen. If your baby has jaundice, it can also be treated.

An I.V. tube may be used if your baby has symptoms and has a very low blood sugar. Some babies may be fed glucose through a tube. This is a tube that goes into the nose and down into the stomach.