Panhypopituitarism, neurosensory deafness and Noonan’s syndrome in a child of a diabetic mother: role of maternal hypoglycaemia during pregnancy in induction of congenital lesions
✍ Scribed by Törnhage, C.-J.; Lithner, F.; Eriksson, U.J.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1998
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 76 KB
- Volume
- 15
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0742-3071
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
Table 1. Questions asked of spouse and distribution of responses 1. What do you think when your partner does not show up at an appointed time? Sure that s/he is suffering from hypoglycaemia 17.3 % Concerned that something might have 60.3 % happened, e.g. accident Other thoughts 22.4 % 2. What is your emotional reaction to severe hypoglycaemia? Consternation 67.3 % Keep relatively calm 31.7 % 3. Is the potential of a severe hypoglycaemia a family burden? Always 9.1 % Sometimes 47.3 % Never 41.8 % the possibility of severe hypoglycaemia was 'always' a burden.
Further research is needed to determine whether some spouses and marriages are more vulnerable to psychosocial problems secondary to recurrent severe hypoglycaemia. Clinical experience suggests that, for some couples, such hypoglycaemia stress can perpetuate problems with severe hypoglycaemia. For example, spousal concern about future severe hypoglycaemic episodes can trigger attempts to take more control over diabetes management, with more resistance to treatment assistance in patients. 8 Couples who demonstrate such power struggles should be referred for marital therapy to address these issues and improve their ability to cope with hypoglycaemia.
We would expect that spouses, like patients, 3 develop more fear of hypoglycaemia the more traumatic its past consequences. Severe hypoglycaemia may have similar psychosocial ramifications for children who have discovered their diabetic parents stuporous or unconscious and in need of emergency treatment. We believe that the psychosocial impact of hypoglycaemia on family members deserves increased clinical and empirical attention.