Expert Says Mothers Of Overweight Babies Prone To Diabetes

The Evercare Hospital, Lekki, has revealed that women who give birth to large babies have a higher risk of having diabetes mellitus.

Dr Chinyere Udo, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist at Evercare Hospital, in a statement, defined Diabetes mellitus as a chronic disorder that would occur when the body could neither produce sufficient insulin nor be able to effectively use the insulin it produced.

“Deficiency of this hormone, results in persistently elevated blood glucose levels, the hallmark of diabetes. Diabetes, especially when poorly controlled, is associated with severe complications leading to limitations in the quality of life or death.

"Diabetes complications include increased susceptibility to infections, heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputations. While diabetes may affect anyone, certain persons – obese persons, individuals with a sedentary lifestyle, those with a family history of diabetes, and women with a history of giving birth to large babies have a higher risk.”

She added that there are different forms of diabetes especially Type 1 diabetes, which is a more frequent type in childhood, saying it could occur at any age.

She said, “Type 1 diabetes is not preventable and people who have it need insulin to survive.”