In a novel study researchers stated that a synthetic pancreas fitted to pregnant women suffering diabetes could save their lives and enhanced the health of their infants. During pregnancy hormonal changes joined with diabetes, sometimes make it difficult to regulate blood sugar levels, which could have detrimental effects.
According to research by the Diabetes Care the synthetic pancreas can keep the sugar at normal levels. The synthetic pancreas works through a sensor which continuously monitors levels of sugar. The information is fed to a computer which convey an insulin pump how much of hormone to inject.
In preliminary trail researchers from the Medical Research Laboratories in Cambridge fitted synthetics pancreas to ten women suffering diabetes. The results of an early study showed that normal levels of blood sugar could be maintained. The sufferers of type 1 diabetes are incapable to control their blood sugar levels as their pancreas stops generating insulin.
For women suffering diabetes, self-management becomes particularly difficult during pregnancy due to hormonal and psychological changes. The high levels of blood glucose raise the risk of stillbirth, congenital malformation, preterm delivery, neonatal death, oversized baby and neonatal admission, explained Dr Helen Murphy, from Cambridge University.
The invention of synthetic pancreas can maintain near-normal glucose levels in these women are very hopeful. More than half of infants born to mother with type 1 diabetes are obese at the time of birth due to too much sugar in the blood, added Dr Murphy.
The earlier study conducted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland over pregnant women showed that the rate of stillbirths and death in the first week was four times larger in women suffering type 1 diabetes that affecting thirty-two out of every one thousand pregnancies. Pregnancy can also be hazardous for the mother, who can end up with lower blood sugar levels.