National Diabetes Month: Promoting Health After Gestational Diabetes

About seven out of every 100 pregnant women in the United States get gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that happens for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after the baby is born. However, it does increase the risk for the mother and child to develop type 2 diabetes. November is National Diabetes Month and this year this national health observance is focusing on promoting health after gestational diabetes. If diagnosed with gestational diabetes: Get tested for type 2 diabetes within 12 weeks after your baby is born. If the test is normal, get tested every 3 years Talk to your doctor if you plan to become pregnant again in the future Tell your child’s doctor if you had gestational diabetes Keep up healthy habits for a lifetime to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes And if your organization wants to become involved in promoting health after gestational diabetes, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has created an awareness toolkit complete with a downloadable flyer and social media messages that you can use all month long.
Source: BHIC - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: General consumer health diabetes gestational diabetes national health observance Source Type: blogs