Question

A mother with diabetes has done some reading about the effects of her condition on newborns. Which statement shows a misunderstanding that should be clarified by the nurse?

1) Although my baby is large, some women with diabetes have very small babies because the blood flow through the placenta may not be as good as it should be.
2) My baby will be watched closely for signs of low blood sugar, especially during the early days after birth.
3) The red appearance of my baby's skin is due to an excessive number of red blood cells.
4) My baby's pancreas may not produce enough insulin because the cells became smaller than normal during my pregnancy.

Answer 1

The misunderstanding is the belief that a baby's pancreas may produce inadequate insulin because the cells become smaller during pregnancy due to the mother's diabetes. In reality, the baby's pancreas can overproduce insulin as a response to the mother's high blood glucose levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

A mother's question about the impact of diabetes on her newborn can reveal certain misunderstandings about the condition. One particular misunderstanding to clarify is her belief that her baby's pancreas may not produce enough insulin because the cells became smaller than normal during pregnancy. It's important to note that the baby's pancreas is typically capable of producing insulin, even when the mother has diabetes. What does happen, however, is that when a mother has high blood glucose levels during pregnancy, the baby's pancreas may produce extra insulin to compensate, which can lead to the baby growing larger than normal, a condition known as macrosomia.

Babies born to mothers with diabetes are at risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) after birth due to their insulin production. Additionally, the excess red blood cell production is a response to the excess insulin, which can give the baby's skin a red appearance. While it's true that some babies born to mothers with diabetes may be smaller due to placental insufficiency, it's not accurate to suggest that the baby's insulin-producing cells would become smaller during pregnancy as a consequence of the mother's diabetes.