News Moms Need

Tuesday, March 26, is Diabetes Alert Day. It is designed to teach the public about the seriousness of diabetes, particularly when the disease is left undiagnosed or untreated.

Having gestational diabetes during pregnancy significantly increases a woman’s future chances of developing diabetes. About half will develop diabetes over the next 10 years. And the mom isn’t the only one at risk - her child of that pregnancy may be at an increased risk for developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.

Find out if you’re at risk for type 2 diabetes by taking the Diabetes Risk Test and talking to your family about your family history of diabetes. If left undiagnosed or untreated, diabetes can lead to serious health problems including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, amputation, and even death.

For more information and free resources, visit the NDEP Web site at YourDiabetesInfo.org.

Sara is a genetic counselor who works in the Pregnancy & Newborn Health Education Center at  the March of Dimes.  This is the first of many posts she will be writing for NMN.

My husband and I are always amazed at how much my son is like my father.  Although they do not look alike, they have the same exact personality.  In the looks department though, my son is a carbon copy of my husband’s family.  But what else has he inherited from us?  Heart disease, diabetes, cancer?  For many of these things, there is no way to know.  But one thing that we have done is to talk to our family members and figure out, as best we can, what our family health history looks like.  We did this before we even decided to have children.  We wanted to know if there was any history of miscarriages, birth defects, pregnancy complications, premature births, or diseases in our family.   This allowed us to make informed choices regarding any testing that may be offered and to make sure my health care provider was aware of any family risk factors. 

We also made sure we knew our ethnic background.  People from certain ethnic backgrounds have an increased risk to pass on certain genetic diseases to their children.  For instance, Tay Sachs disease is more common in people of Eastern European Jewish or French Canadian heritage. Cystic fibrosis is more common in individuals of Northern European Caucasian descent.  And sickle cell disease is found more frequently in individuals of African-American or Hispanic descent. 

With summer approaching you may be planning a trip to visit family members, or traveling to a family reunion.  While everyone is together, it is a great time to talk about your family’s health history.  You can use our family health history questionnaire to learn what information is important.  At first, you may feel a little uncomfortable.  But if you explain that this will help your whole family in the future, I bet most people will be happy to open up and give you some great information.  And then remember to keep updating it.  A family medical history, just like a family, is dynamic and always changing.  And while you are learning about your family’s health history, you may be surprised what other interesting facts and stories will be shared.  It is a great opportunity to get to know your family on an entirely different level.

There are things you can do, before you get pregnant, to help give your baby a better chance of a healthy and full-term birth. See your health care provider before pregnancy and ask about the following topics.

What do I need to know about…

1. Diabetes, high blood pressure, infections or other health problems?
2. Medicines or home remedies?
3. Taking a multivitamin pill with folic acid in it each day? 
4. Getting to a healthy weight before pregnancy?
5. Smoking, drinking alcohol and taking illegal drugs?
6. Unsafe chemicals or other things I should stay away from at home or at work?
7. Taking care of myself and lowering my stress? 
8. How long to wait between pregnancies?
9. My family history, including premature birth?

Continuing our post on the ABC’s of a healthy pregnancy A-G (July 10), here are guidelines H-Q to help increase your chances of having a healthy baby.

H: History can teach us a lot! Understanding your family history can make an important difference in your life and the lives of your children.

I: Iron is a mineral that helps create red blood cells, which are needed to carry oxygen to your baby. Be sure to get enough iron in your diet to prevent getting anemia.

J: Join a childbirth education class to help you understand what to expect during labor and birth.

K: Keep you and your baby safe during a disaster by planning ahead of time. Prepare for a disaster by making a list of medications you’re taking and having a handy contact sheet with your health provider’s information.

L: Lots of back pain? Backache is one of the most common problems for pregnant women. Avoid heavy lifting and standing for long periods of time. Wear comfortable shoes and consider a pregnancy massage to ease some of your pain.

M: Medical conditions, such as gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, should be carefully monitored by you and your health provider. Also, talk to your provider about any medications that may need to be adjusted during pregnancy.

N: Nausea is very common during pregnancy and certain foods can trigger the feeling. Try substituting other nutritious options for the foods that make you feel ill. Eat 5-6 small meals a day, rather than three large ones.

O: Oh, baby! Get ready to care for your baby before you bring her home from the hosital. Choose a health provider for her and make sure your home environment is all set and safe for your new baby.

P: Prenatal care is essential for having a healthy baby, so be sure to make all of your visits. During these appointments, prenatal tests will be given to help your provider know how you and your baby are doing.

Q: Quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking. Smoking can cause your baby to grow more slowly and gain less weight in the womb. Drinking alcohol while pregnant can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause your baby to be born with both physical and mental birth defects.

Visit us next Thursday for the final part of our series, the ABC’s of a healthy pregnancy R-Z.

Low fat milk may be appropriate for some children between 12 months and 2 years of age, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Examples:

• * Babies who are overweight or obese
• * Babies with a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or cardiovascular disease

Before giving your child any low fat milk products, talk to your child’s health care provider.

To learn about your family medical history, go to the March of Dimes Web site.