Serious congenital cardiac defects affect the baby’s heart. Maternal diabetes—type 1, type 2, or gestational—increases baby congenital cardiac defects by disrupting embryonic development.
Congenital cardiac defects affect the baby’s heart at birth. To increase awareness, February 7–14 is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week.
Dr. Ravinder Goud Jangampally, Consultant Paediatrician & Neonatologist, Yashoda Hospitals Hyderabad, says maternal hyperglycemia is one of the reasons of congenital heart defects.
CHDs in children are considerably enhanced by maternal diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2 or gestational.
Research shows that maternal diabetes hinders embryonic heart formation. This link is still being explored, although various factors may increase congenital heart defect risk:
Hyperglycemia: High maternal blood sugar can pass through the placenta and expose the fetus to glucose. Heart problems can result from hyperglycemia.
Oxidative stress: Maternal diabetes promotes oxidative stress, which damages fetal heart tissues.
Epigenetic changes: Diabetes during pregnancy alters fetal gene expression, affecting heart development.
Vitamin deficiencies like folate, which is needed for embryonic development, can raise CHD risk in diabetic women.
Septal malformations, major artery transposition, and other anatomical abnormalities can result from maternal hyperglycemia. Malformations can be moderate to life-threatening and require surgery or long-term care. Importantly, maternal diabetes, glycemic control, age, education, and other comorbidities increase offspring CHD risk. Thus, early screening and diabetes treatment before and during pregnancy reduce CHD risk and optimize mother-child outcomes.
Conclusion
At birth, congenital heart defects affect heart structure and function. Congenital cardiac defects in children are considerably enhanced by maternal diabetes, type 1, type 2, or gestational. Researchers think maternal diabetes hinders embryonic heart development, especially early on. Hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, epigenetic changes, and nutrient imbalance raise risk. Septal defects, major artery transposition, and structural anomalies are linked to maternal diabetes. Glycemic control, maternal age, education, and other factors affect offspring CHD risk. Diabetes screening and control during pregnancy lowers CHD risk and improves mother-child outcomes.
