Health & Safety: Health Conditions & Pregnancy

Diabetes & Pregnancy  
Diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot use the sugars and starches (carbohydrates) it takes in as food to make energy. The body either makes no insulin or too little insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes to change those sugars and starches into energy. As a result, extra sugar builds up in the blood. (Center for Disease Control)  

Gestational diabetes can be seen in a pregnant woman who did not have diabetes before she was pregnant. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Sometimes a woman with gestational diabetes must also take insulin. For most women with gestational diabetes, the diabetes goes away soon after delivery.

Learn more about diabetes, pregnancy, and steps to take during pregnancy see these sites:

• American Diabetes Association:
  http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/pregnant-women/ 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
  http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/pregnancy_gateway/diabetes.html

 

Sickle Cell Anemia and Pregnancy
According to the March of Dimes, in the United States, most Sickle Cell Anemia cases occur among African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans.  

• About 1 in every 500 African-Americans and about 1 in every 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic-Americans has sickle cell disease.
• Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder. There are several forms of the disease – the most common is sickle cell anemia which causes pain, the most common symptom.
• Hemoglobin is a protein found in every red blood cell. It enables red blood cells to carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body. If you have sickle cell disease, your body produces only abnormal hemoglobin, known as hemoglobin S.
• During pregnancy, sickle cell disease may become more severe, and pain episodes may occur more frequently.
• A pregnant woman with sickle cell disease is at increased risk for miscarriage, for preterm labor, and for having a low-birth weight tadalafil baby However, with early prenatal care and careful monitoring throughout pregnancy, women with sickle cell disease can have a healthy pregnancy.
• In each pregnancy of two parents who both have sickle cell trait, there is a: 
  • 50% chance that the child will have the trait 
  • 25% chance that the child will have sickle cell disease 
  • 25% chance that the child will have neither the trait nor the disease 
  • If only one parent has the trait and the other has no abnormal hemoglobin gene, there is no chance that their children will have sickle cell disease. However, there is a 50-50 chance of each child having the trait.

For more information about Sickle Cell Anemia and pregnancy see the following sites:
http://www.marchofdimes.com/Baby/birthdefects_sicklecell.html

 

HIV
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that may be living and growing in the human body for many years before it is detected.  

HIV is a virus that causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). The incurable virus attacks prednisone the body's immune system, making the body extremely vulnerable to infections that occur in patients who have weakened immune systems. 

The only way to know for sure that you have not contracted this virus is to be tested. Your health care provider should offer you that opportunity. 

Free and confidential or anonymous tests are available and listed below.

Information
To find an HIV testing site near you visit www.hivtest.org or call 1-800-CDC-INFO
To find information about HIV and pregnancy visit http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/Perinatal_FS_en.pdf

Local HIV Testing and Information

AIDS Arms

Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services Clinic

Community Women’s Health Care

Parkland Health & Hospital System

Nelson-Tebedo Health Resource Center

Planned Parenthood of North Texas

For information on Temporary Housing for familes with HIV/AIDS, click here.