When the body can’t make enough insulin, or can’t use insulin normally, a condition called diabetes develops. Insulin hormone helps sugar (glucose) in the blood to get into cells of the body to be used as fuel. When glucose is unable to enter the cells, it builds up in the blood. This leads to high blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
When during pregnancy in a woman the blood glucose level goes up and other diabetic symptoms appear, a condition called gestational diabetes develops.
Pregnant women who have had diabetes since before pregnancy or the ones who develop gestational diabetes need to take care to not have high or low sugars.
The energy requirements are higher in the second and third trimesters. Hence, the meal plan needs to be changed such that the carbohydrate intake is controlled while consuming more calories. “Women can focus on eating good quality proteins and fats like paneer, dahi, eggs, skinless poultry, lean meat, nuts, soy products, etc. This helps in increasing caloric intake while keeping blood sugar under control,” says Apoorva Joshi, Nutrionist, Humm Care.
A leisurely walk post each meal also helps in lowering blood glucose spikes after meals. “A pregnant woman who is obese and has diabetes must talk to her healthcare provider frequently to know her weight gain targets through each phase since they may be different from the general population,” adds Joshi.
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During pregnancy, the fetus continuously draws blood sugar from the mother. So, the mother needs to avoid low sugars by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day, and getting insulin doses adjusted if required.
It is also advisable to not have a longer than 10 hr gap between dinner and the first meal in the morning.
Precautions to Take for Children Suffering from Diabetes
The priority for children with diabetes is to avoid the risk of ketosis due to high sugars and hypoglycemia due to low sugars.
“To avoid high sugars and ketoacidosis, one must monitor the blood sugars regularly and get the insulin doses addressed frequently because, in the growing stage, children’s insulin requirement changes quite often,” opines Joshi
To avoid low sugars, kids who play sports and/or are physically very active must be educated about hypoglycemia and must always carry a rapid-acting carbohydrate like glucose tablet, chocolate, or chikki with them. One must take additional care on sick days to avoid high or low sugars and emergencies due to them.
“While we try to keep their blood sugars under control, it is important to not let children’s growth slow down. Their meals should have good quality protein like milk, curd, eggs, chicken, etc along with enough calories to support their growth and development,” chips Joshi.
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