Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy
Let your doctor know if you plan to become pregnant. When type 1 diabetes is poorly controlled, it can cause complications, including birth defects. Achieving good blood sugar control before conception lowers the risk of miscarriage and birth defects to a rate similar to that of the general population. It also reduces the risk of complications, such as dangerous increases in blood pressure and damage to the retina in the mother.
When a child is diagnosed with diabetes, it affects the whole family in a very practical way. Parents must help children monitor blood sugar, plan meals, and adjust insulin dosages around the clock. Because diabetes requires 24-hour maintenance, arrangements must be made for treatment during school and extracurricular activities. Laws vary from state to state regarding which employees may administer insulin at school.
Hope for an Artificial Pancreas
Researchers are developing a system dubbed the artificial pancreas -- a combination of an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor controlled by a complex computer program. The goal is for the system to automatically release insulin in response to blood sugar levels, and to reduce the release of insulin when blood sugars drop, just the way a real pancreas does. Early trials suggest the approach can improve blood sugar control. An effective artificial pancreas could one day reduce the constant maintenance associated with type 1 diabetes.
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