Utah County health care providers say pregnancy problems related to diabetes are on the rise, reflecting new research that says the number of diabetic women becoming pregnant more than doubled between 1999 and 2005.

Dizon-Townson said she's seen an increase in incidents in the past year, but couldn't offer specific numbers. She said women with high blood glucose levels -- especially at the time of conception -- could face problems later on with birth defects, early deliveries and even miscarriages.

"In order to optimize pregnancy outcomes for both mother and baby, blood glucose levels have to be under very, very tight control," she said. "That should be achieved before conception."

Researchers at Kaiser Permanente in southern California found that the rate of expectant moms previously diagnosed with diabetes jumped from 0.81 of every 1,000 pregnant women to 1.82 in the seven years ending with 2005. That's largely because the disease is showing up in younger women, said Dr. Jean Lawrence, who led the study.

"We're now seeing it being diagnosed as young as 10 years of age," she said. "Previously, type 2 wasn't really being seen in people who are young, and now it is."

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body either can't produce enough insulin or cells ignore it.

Lawrence said growing numbers of overweight and obese people are fueling the trend. Weight gain increases the body's insulin resistance, forcing the pancreas to work harder to produce more.

Diabetes can compound potential problems many overweight women already face during pregnancy, Lawrence said.

"Women who are overweight and obese also have an increased risk of having a baby with birth defects," she said. Other dangers to the baby include jaundice, breathing problems and a higher risk that the child will grow up to be overweight or diabetic.

Research by Dr. Thomas R. Moore, chair of the University of California at San Diego's Department of Reproductive Medicine, says the miscarriage rate among women with poorly controlled diabetes could be as high as 44 percent. With precautionary measures, though, that risk drops to between 9 and 14 percent. In a December article in the online journal eMedicine, he also reports that birth defects are present in 3 to 8 percent of babies whose mothers don't control the disease, while the risk falls dramatically with treatment.

Dr. John B. Buse, president of medicine and science for the American Diabetes Association, said the key to controlling risks is regular testing and treatment.

"Early diagnosis as a woman with well-controlled diabetes [leads to] the same chance of having a healthy baby as a someone without diabetes," he said. "It's scary, but problems are completely avoidable with consistent and focused care."

Buse recommends that women get a fasting plasma glucose test, in which a blood sample is tested for abnormally high glucose levels, every three years.

"It is absolutely essential for women with diabetes to make sure their diabetes control is excellent before getting pregnant," he said.

Among the 175,000 cases Lawrence studied, the proportion of women contracting a temporary form of diabetes during pregnancy was relatively stable over time, she said. Gestational diabetes, which typically lasts from early in the third trimester to shortly after childbirth, showed up in 7.4 of every 1,000 pregnancies -- representing the vast majority of diabetic issues during pregnancy. Though the dangers are somewhat less because it's contracted after conception, the numbers should still be cause for concern, Lawrence said.

"Women who develop gestational diabetes in pregnancy have a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes over time," she said.

The American Diabetes Association also says there's a two-in-three chance gestational diabetes will return in subsequent pregnancies.

At Utah Valley, Dizon-Thompson said she probably sees about as many preconception diabetics as she does gestational diabetics. The most common complication arising from either is preeclampsia, a temporary condition that results in high blood pressure for expectant mothers.

Ruthann Jarvis, education director for Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, said she's seen the number of gestational diabetes cases at her facility multiply in the past year. She attributes part of the increase to changing definitions of diabetes in Utah since 2004 --- people with lower glucose levels are now considered diabetic -- but also to an increasing obesity level as the result of easy access to unhealthy food.

"You can get more food without really realizing that you're getting food that's inappropriate for what your body needs," she said.

Gestational diabetes is generally less threatening to a baby's development because it sets in late in pregnancy when the baby's body has mostly been formed. Still, it can cause premature births, as well as weight and low blood sugar problems in newborns, Jarvis said.

"You're seeing a more premature baby that still is a bigger baby," she said.

Lawrence said the best move for diabetic women wanting to become pregnant is consult a doctor first. Getting a good diet and exercise plan to minimize risk is key, she said. And if you're diagnosed with gestational diabetes, be sure to have a follow-up test at postpartum appointments. Both mother and child may need follow-up care to monitor the potential risk of contracting long-term diabetes.

"It's actually more of a family message at that point," she said. "The message is as true for the mom as it is for the child."

The Utah Valley Regional Medical Center offers a walk-in clinic for women concerned about diabetes and pregnancy every Monday. Health care professionals administer tests and offer advice for diabetic women or women concerned about contracting gestational diabetes.

Kaiser Permanente's study data is published today in the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Care journal.