Tania Ahmed, a resident of Mirpur DOHS in the capital, said she learnt that she was suffering from diabetes when her blood test was carried out eight weeks after conceiving.
Hers is a case of gestational diabetes which is a condition in which a person's blood sugar levels become high during pregnancy.
“Initially, 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 30-year-old woman.
Tania said she is benefitting from the physicians’ advices, reports BSS.
“My foetus and I are leading a risk and tension free life as I am maintaining the rules after visiting the doctors,” she commented.
Tania also mentioned that excluding other costs, she had to purchase insulin costing nearly Tk30,000 during the pregnancy.
However, diabetes was under control as she followed all rules at the advices of the doctors and her baby was born completely healthy within the stipulated time, she remarked.
According to World Diabetes Foundation, gestational diabetes affects 8%-13% women globally.
Experts said nearly 10% mothers are now in risk of being affected by gestational diabetes, while the risk of heart disease of foetus of diabetic mothers is three to four times higher than the general children.
National Professor Dr Shahla Khatun said the number of gestational diabetes cases is on the rise.
The balance of hormone is destroyed during pregnancy, added Shahla.
“The mother may fall at risk if the diabetes is not controlled during the pregnancy and she must be informed about this. Otherwise, she and foetus may be affected,” stated the national professor.
She said if the doctors could know about the diabetes of the mothers beforehand, it is convenient for them to provide treatment to the mothers.
Around 50% of mothers who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes are cured from the disease within six weeks after their delivery, she mentioned.
However, there remains an apprehension of suffering from diabetes within five years in the case 80% of them.
A medical journal of Stanford Children Health, an organization based in California in the US, said many women can suffer from diabetes before conceiving, while many could be diagnosed with the disease during pregnancy.
According to the journal, three to nine women in every 100 pregnant women suffer from diabetes.
Head of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital’s Endocrinology Department Prof Dr Imtiaz Mahbub said indiscipline and uncontrolled life is the main reason of diabetes.
A massive mass awareness has to be built so that this silent deadly disease does not develop in the body, he opined.
He further added that every person, especially from the childhood, will have to take adequate food. To make this a reality, educational institutions and parents could play an important role to make the new generations aware to this end.
Building awareness
Dr Mahbub said nearly 80% people of the country are not conscious about the disease. So, mass awareness has 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 reduce the long-term risk of the patients.
This education programme will help accelerate the healthcare services further, he said, adding that necessary information must be provided to the patients to fight a long-term deadly disease like diabetes.
Dr Sohelur stated it is possible to save 80% people from type 2 diabetes if they could be provided education on relevant issues and encouraged in leading a proper and ideal life which could be the best method to prevent the disease.
It is not possible for the government alone to ensure medical services for such a huge number of patients and for this, the people will have to be more aware, he observed.
Vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Professor Dr Kanak Kanti Barua inaugurated the “Diabetic Patient Education Programme” for diabetic patients on October 12, 2019.
This education program, which was launched at the room no. 509 on the fifth floor of building no. 1 of the outdoor of the BSMMU Hospital, will continue from 12pm to 1pm every Saturday.
In the future, people will get this service every day except the weekly and public holidays, hospital authorities said, adding that the program will be run by their Endocrinology Department.