I have gestational diabetes. What are the chances that this will cause brain defects to my baby?

[Summergurl2023]

Im suspecting that I already had diabetes prior to pregnancy. During the first trimester I’d have hunger pangs and so I’d be eating a bunch of crap 😔. I’m underweight though and so far have only put on 8kilos. I’m going to enter my 3rd trimester and and week 25 have been diagnosed with GD. Baby is measuring normal to large everywhere but head circumference is proportionally much smaller (at 3rd percentile) I asked the doc about this and she said it’s nothing … I can’t stop freaking out

The measurements of head circumference on scans are crazy inaccurate so please don't worry. I was told all-sorts of different percentiles of baby's head when I was having scans - sometimes disproportionately big and sometimes too small. They had exactly average sized heads when born

GD is hormonal and not caused by anything you eat. However, if you’ve now been diagnosed you can control it with diet / meds to reduce the risk to your baby. I had a GD baby last year (and likely an undiagnosed GD baby in 2020) who are both totally fine.

I had gestational diabetes with my second (2021) and I suspect I had it with my first, but undiagnosed. The risk of brain development to your baby is basically zero; if your blood sugar levels are uncontrolled the more likely risks are that your baby might be big, and there’s an elevated lifetime risk to you of developing type 2 in the future.

Try not to panic, ask for a meeting with the diabetic midwife. GD is very common, the condition can be controlled, and you’ll both be okay. There’s some good information here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gestational-diabetes/

Have a look at this website. They also have a Facebook group which is very supportive.

www.gestationaldiabetes.co.uk

Why do you think this will cause brain defects in your baby?