8 to 13 in every 100 pregnant women suffer from diabetes

Rafiza Ahmed, a resident of Mohammadpur in the capital, said she came to know that she was suffering from diabetes when her blood test was conducted eight weeks after conceiving. 

"At the beginning, I had to take insulin thrice before having meals and then another insulin after the dinner. Simultaneously, I had to follow balanced diets," said the 33-year-old woman. 

Talking to this reporter, Rafiza said she is getting the benefits of the advice of the physicians.

"I and my fetus are leading a risk-and-tension-free life as I'm maintaining the rules after visiting the doctors," she said.

Rafiza also said, excluding other costs, she had to purchase insulins of nearly Tk 30,000 during the pregnancy period. 

"However, diabetes was under control as I followed all rules at the advice of the doctors and my baby was born completely healthy within the stipulated time," she said. 

According to the World Diabetes Foundation, 8 to 13 per cent of women suffer from pregnancy-time diabetes. Experts said nearly 10 per cent of mothers are now at pregnancy-time diabetes risk, while the risk of heart disease in the foetus of diabetic mothers is three to four times higher than the general children.

National Professor Dr Shahala Khatun said the number of pregnancy-time diabetic patients is increasing now than in the past.

She said the balance of hormones is destroyed during the pregnancy period. So those who have a trend of diabetes have more risk to suffer from the disease. 

"The mother may fall at risk if the diabetes is not controlled during the pregnancy time and she must be informed about this otherwise she and the foetus may be affected," Dr Shahala said.

The national professor said if the doctors could know about the diabetes of the mothers, it would be convenient for them to provide treatment to the mothers.

She said 50 per cent of mothers who were diagnosed with diabetes during the pregnancy period are cured of the disease within six weeks after their delivery. However, there remains an apprehension of suffering from diabetes within five years in the case of 80 per cent of them. 

A medical journal of Stanford Children Health, an organisation based in California the United States, said many women can suffer from diabetes before conceiving, while many could be diagnosed with the disease during pregnancy. 

Endocrinologist Professor Dr Imtiaz Mahbub said indisciplined and uncontrolled life is the main reason for diabetes. A massive mass awareness will have to be built up so that this silent deadly disease does not develop in the body. 

He said every person, especially from childhood, will have to take adequate food. For this, educational institutions and parents could play an important role in making the new generations aware of this end.

Dr Mahbub said nearly 80 per cent of people in the country are not conscious of the disease. So, mass awareness will have to be created in this regard.

Medicine specialist Dr Sohelur Rahman said importance will have to be given to education on diabetes to properly control the disease and lessen the long-term risk of the patients.

This education programme will help accelerate the healthcare services further, he said, adding that necessary education must be given to the patients to fight a long-term and all the time deadly disease like diabetes. 

Dr Sohelur said it is possible to save 80 per cent of people from Type 2 diabetes if they could be provided education on relevant issues and encouraged to lead a proper and ideal life. It could be the best method to prevent the disease, he remarked.

It is not possible for the government alone to ensure medicare services for such a huge number of patients and for this, the people will have to be more aware, he observed.