| One of the best reasons to reverse Type 2 diabetes | | | | neural tube defect can show up as an opening in the |
| if you're a female in your childbearing years, is that | | | | spinal cord or brain from the 3rd or 4th week of |
| diabetes is a teratogen. The term teratogen means | | | | pregnancy... even before you know you are pregnant. |
| something that causes harm to the unborn fetus. | | | | Spina bifida is one example of what can occur when |
| One of the most famous teratogens is thalidomide, a | | | | a teratogen capable of causing neural tube defects is |
| drug given to many women in the late 1950s for its | | | | in the same environment as the developing fetus. |
| sedative properties. By 1961, thalidomide was | | | | Anencephaly is another example; in this, the baby is |
| removed from the market after causing medical | | | | born without a major portion of the brain, skull and |
| tragedies. | | | | scalp. This occurs when the head end of the neural |
| Like most drugs, thalidomide was proclaimed as a | | | | tube does not close. This occurs between the 23rd |
| wonder drug when it first came out. Doctors used it | | | | and 26th day from conception... the result is the baby |
| for insomnia, colds, coughs, morning sickness and | | | | is born without a forebrain which is the largest part |
| headaches. And like other teratogens, thalidomide | | | | of the brain. The remaining brain tissue is often |
| crossed the placenta and the developing fetus took a | | | | exposed, not being covered by any skull. The baby is |
| hefty dose of the drug. What happened was more | | | | usually deaf, blind and unconscious (often dies soon |
| than a tragedy; it was frightening. Babies were born | | | | after birth), or is stillborn. |
| with deformities, without hands, feet, arms and even | | | | Many factors can cause neural tube defects; diabetes |
| legs sometimes. Extra appendages such as fingers | | | | is not the only one. For example, a folic acid |
| and toes were seen as well. Many of these babies | | | | deficiency is another reason, and this is why most |
| died. And there were thousands of them. | | | | prenatal supplements contain 800 mcg folic acid, not |
| When a pregnant mother has diabetes, the diabetes | | | | the usual 400 mcg. Obesity, arsenic exposure, drugs |
| acts as a teratogen. Having diabetes, or more | | | | like methotrexate and even mold found in cornmeal |
| specifically unstable blood sugar levels, changes many | | | | can also cause these neural tube defects. |
| physiological pathways in the human body and | | | | So if you're female trying to get pregnant and have |
| increases the risk of the baby developing birth | | | | Type 2 diabetes, please do everything you can to |
| defects. In June 2010, scientists at the Laboratory of | | | | eliminate it by losing weight and maintaining lower |
| Regulation of Gene Expression in Baton Rouge, | | | | blood sugar levels. Many gynecologist advise diabetics, |
| Louisiana reported that diabetes causes neural tube | | | | both Type 1 and Type 2 to make sure their blood |
| defects in the unborn baby. The neural tube is the | | | | sugar levels are in a healthy range 3 to 4 months |
| structure that exists in the developing fetus that | | | | before conception. |
| becomes the brain and spinal cord. In humans, a | | | | |