Page added on September 7, 2010

Gestational Diabetes that occurs during pregnancy

The gestational type of diabetes is that form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. About 4 percent of pregnant women suffer from gestational diabetes. It occurs at the mid-period of pregnancy due to excessive production of hormone in the body. It may also occur due to the inability of the pancreas to produce additional insulin that may be required during pregnancy.

Pregnant women may suffer from gestational diabetes though there may be no previous history of diabetes. The insufficiency of insulin which leads to excess presence of sugar in the blood can be termed as hyperglycaemia. Gestational diabetes becomes normal after the birth of the child.

Women suffering with gestational diabetes may have higher risk of developing the type-2 diabetes in the later part of life.

If the gestational diabetes is not treated properly, it may lead to problems to both the mother and the child. Though insulin cannot not pass through the placenta to the baby, but sugar and other nutrients can do. The excess sugar in the blood goes through the placenta giving the baby high blood sugar level. This makes the baby’s pancreas to produce extra insulin to get rid of the sugar that may have chance of having a fat baby syndrome or microsomatia. Microsomatia occurs due to excess level of blood sugar and insulin makes the baby to be over weighted.

Babies with microsomatia may suffer from various health problems like breathing problem and may lead to damage of shoulders during birth. Due to the excessive insulin the newborns may have low blood sugar levels and may have the risk of obesity with the type-2 diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association suggests that pregnant women of 25 years of age or more with overweight before pregnancy with a family history of diabetes should be thoroughly checked up for gestational diabetes in the second month of pregnancy. By this time the placenta starts developing hormones that lead to insulin resistance. The screening test may be done after the consumption of glucose into a drink.

Gestational diabetes should be treated at a very early stage to prevent the mother and the child from adverse affect. It should be aimed at keeping the blood sugar level normal to that of pregnant women without gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes can be treated with proper meals, scheduled exercise along with daily blood sugar level testing, to keep it under control.

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