PRe-Pregnancy Diabetes and Birth Defects

Filed in archive Information , Notable , Research on July 31, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Ilya Terentyev

Diabetes at pre-pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects. Such were the findings of a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

Lead author Dr. Adolfo Correa, an epidemiologist at the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, said in a CDC news release:

"The continued association of diabetes with a number of birth defects highlights the importance of increasing the number of women who receive the best possible preconception care, especially for those diagnosed with diabetes.

Early and effective management of diabetes for pregnant women is critical in helping to not only prevent birth defects, but also to reduce the risk for other health complications for them and their children".

This just reminds us how a woman's pre-conception state of health is important.

Read more from US News and World Report and CDC News Release.