PeterChew

M was upset and looked at me in disbelief when I told her the not-so-sweet news. She had failed her glucose tolerance test (GTT) and had been suffering from gestational diabetes. M, aged 34, and a first-time mum was at 24 weeks of gestation. “Doc, I have a sweet tooth.” She confessed. “I would indulge in cakes and ice-cream after my morning sickness was over. Would the high blood sugar affect my baby?” She then revealed that her mum was also diagnosed to have diabetes recently. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a condition in which a woman develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. It happens when the body does not produce enough insulin to effectively convert glucose to stored energy resulting in its build-up in the blood. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus It can affect any pregnant mother, but the following are the risk factors: Obesity: BMI more than 25kg/m2 History of delivering a big baby (4kg and above) Previous history of GDM Aged 35 and abov...

It may be that one partner cannot contribute to conception, or that a woman is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term. It is often defined as not conceiving after 12 months of regular sexual intercourse without the use of birth control.  In the United States, around 10 percent of women aged 15 to 44 years are estimated to have difficulty conceiving or staying pregnant. Worldwide, 8 to 12 percent of couples experience fertility problems. Between 45 and 50 percent of cases are thought to stem from factors that affect the man.  Treatment is often available.  Causes in men  The following are common causes of infertility in men.  Semen and sperm  Sometimes the sperm cannot travel effectively to meet the egg.  Semen is the milky fluid that a man’s penis releases during orgasm. Semen consists of fluid and sperm. The fluid comes from the prostate gland, the seminal vesicle, and other sex glands.  The...