A 27-year-old woman has Type I diabetes mellitus. She and her husband want to have a child so they consulted her diabetologist, who gave her information on pregnancy and diabetes

A 27-year-old woman has Type I diabetes mellitus. She and her husband want to have a child so they consulted her diabetologist, who gave her information on pregnancy and diabetes.

Of primary importance for the diabetic woman who is considering pregnancy should be

• a. a review of the dietary modifications that will be necessary.
• b. early prenatal medical care.
• c. adoption instead of conception.
• d. understanding that this is a major health risk to the mother.

Answer B.

A review of dietary modifications is important once the woman is pregnant. However, it is not of primary importance when considering pregnancy. Pregnancy makes metabolic control of diabetes more difficult. It is essential that the client start prenatal care early so that potential complications can be controlled or minimized by the efforts of the client and health care team.

The alternative of adoption is not necessary just because the client is a diabetic. Many diabetic women have pregnancies with successful outcomes if they receive good care. While there is some risk to the pregnant diabetic woman, it is not considered a major health risk. The greater risk is to the fetus.