Maternal diabetes, even when controlled with insulin and blood sugar levels are kept mostly in check, can cause permanent damage to the foetus and birth defects, according to a recent study.
The findings of the study were published in the journal ‘Science Advances’. More than 3 million women of birthing age in the US and 60 million in the world have diabetes – a disease that occurs when blood sugar is too high.
About 300,000 to 400,000 fetuses per year from mothers with diabetes develop neural tube defects – when the tissue that eventually forms the brain and spinal cord fails to form properly – which can lead to miscarriage or profound disability.
