Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women and is a totally separate form of diabetes than the other two types, commonly referred to as Type I or Type II. It is estimated that around 18 percent of women will develop gestational diabetes at some point during their pregnancy, making it one of the more common pregnancy-related conditions experienced by expecting mothers.
In a nutshell, gestational diabetes is the name of the condition where a mother has too much sugar in her bloodstream. This is the result of the body’s failure to produce enough insulin. According to one recent news article, a new study looks at two common ways to treat gestational diabetes, insulin and glyburide.
As noted above, insulin is the hormone that is responsible for breaking down sugars and converting them into energy. A direct dose of insulin has long been one alternative to treating diabetes. However, more recently doctors have been prescribing glyburide to patients with gestational diabetes. The study takes a look at both medications and ultimately concludes that treatment by glyburide may result in a higher risk of required admission into the intensive care unit, a larger chance of the mother developing respiratory stress, and also a greater risk that the mother will be large for gestational age.
However, the flip side of that coin, the study concludes, is that treatment by insulin results in a higher risk of a required c-section, which also presents is own set of drawbacks. The conclusion of the study is that more research is required before glyburide is considered an effective and safe treatment for gestational diabetes.
Pregnancy Care and Infant Health
Doctors who specialize in treating pregnant women don’t always have an easy job, but it is the profession they choose. By accepting pregnant mothers as patients, doctors assume a duty of care both to the pregnant mother as well as to their soon-to-be child.
In some tragic cases, a physician’s error in judgment, lack of care, or downright mistake can result in a serious but preventable birth injury. In these cases, the mother or family of the injured child may consider filing a birth injury suit against the allegedly negligent doctor, nurse, or hospital. To learn more about these types of lawsuits in Maryland, call a dedicated Maryland birth injury attorney.
Has Your Child Been Injured in a Preventable Birth Injury?
If your child suffered what you believe was a preventable birth injury, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. Potential plaintiffs should keep in mind, however, that these lawsuits rely heavily on science, the law, and the intersection between the two. It is therefore recommended to seek the counsel of an attorney experienced in the ways of medical malpractice and birth injury lawsuits prior to filing a case of your own. To learn more, call the Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers at 410-654-3600 today.
More Blog Posts:
Mother of Child Born with Cerebral Palsy Claims Doctor Was Negligent, Maryland Accident Law Blog, May 11, 2015.
Maryland Woman’s Medical Malpractice Claims Dismissed After Missing Statute of Limitations, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 8, 2015.