Despite advances, babies born to women with diabetes, especially women with poor diabetes control, are still at greater risk of birth defects. High blood sugar levels and ketones (substances that in large amounts are poisonous to the body) pass through the placenta to the baby. These increase the chance of birth defects.
For this reason, good blood sugar control before you get pregnant is very important. Most women do not know they are pregnant until the baby has been growing for two to four weeks. But during the first six weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s organs are forming. Your blood sugar levels during these early weeks affect the baby’s growing organs. High blood sugar levels can lead to birth defects.
