–Free resource, now available electronically and in print, is a comprehensive guide for future and current expectant parents with type 1 diabetes–

Contact:

Tara Wilcox-Ghanoonparvar, 212-479-7524; twilcox-ghanoonparvar@jdrf.org

New York, NY, March 13, 2013 – JDRF is proud to announce the launch of its new Pregnancy Toolkit—a comprehensive guide for future and current expectant mothers and fathers with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Available electronically and in print, the toolkit is a free resource that helps prepare people with T1D for pregnancy and childbirth, and offers a host of tools and resources to support them at every stage.

“For people with type 1 diabetes, becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy are topics that raise many questions and concerns,” said Andrea Hulke, JDRF’s director of National Outreach. “We at JDRF want to help dispel any confusion by offering the most inclusive information possible, and by shedding light on sources of support for parents-to-be, at every stage, from conception to birth.”

The JDRF Pregnancy Toolkit includes: tools to help plan for or adjust to a pregnancy with T1D; important considerations throughout each trimester; practical pregnancy information; tips on how to prepare for childbirth and bringing a baby home; and helpful local and national resources. The main authors of the resource are three active members of the diabetes community who live with T1D: Brandy Barnes, a social worker, diabetes advocate, and author; Scott Johnson, diabetes advocate and blogger; and Kerri Morrone Sparling, diabetes advocate and writer/author.

The Pregnancy Toolkit can be downloaded online at www.jdrf.org/pregnancy. Print copies are also available by contacting your local JDRF chapter, found by entering your zip code on www.jdrf.org.

“JDRF’s number one priority is to improve the lives and health of all people with type 1 diabetes while we continue research toward a cure,” said Ms. Hulke. “We are happy to be able to provide the Pregnancy Toolkit to help ease one of the most important junctures in the lives of future parents with this disease. Most importantly, we want people with type 1 diabetes to know they have a wealth of support in JDRF, through all stages of their lives.”

In addition to offering valuable information to expectant parents, JDRF is supporting research to provide greater insight into how to have the safest and healthiest pregnancy possible with T1D. A JDRF-funded study called CONCEPTT (Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Women with Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy Trial) is the first global trial of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) use in pregnancy. Poor glucose control during pregnancy can result in numerous complications for both the mother and the infant. CONCEPTT, an international, multicenter trial whose first patient is scheduled to be enrolled this year, aims to determine if real-time CGM monitoring can improve glycemic control in women with T1D who are pregnant or planning pregnancy.

For more information on pregnancy and T1D, including a personal story and information on the Pregnancy Toolkit and the CONCEPTT trial, click below to watch JDRF’s new video, “Pregnancy and Type 1 Diabetes: What to Know.”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR7CcrijJmw]

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