Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only affects women who are pregnant, and the onset almost exclusively occurs between 24 and 28 weeks after conception. The most recent official statistic reveals that as many as 9% of pregnant women may develop this condition.
Diabetes is defined as an abnormally high level of sugar in the blood, so pregnant women with gestational diabetes have elevated blood sugar levels similar to those seen in patients with type I or type II diabetes. However, unlike other forms of diabetes, gestational diabetes is directly caused by pregnancy and often goes away on its own after childbirth. The majority of pregnant women diagnosed will achieve adequate control of their blood sugars through simple dietary changes. In order to minimize any potential effects on the baby, this condition should be carefully monitored until birth.
Causes
Insulin is the hormone that allows glucose to move out of the blood and into the cells. Gestational diabetes is caused by insulin resistance that arises from special hormonal changes during pregnancy. In some cases, pregnant women may develop a tolerance to insulin; in others, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. Either way, less insulin activity leads to more sugar in the blood.
Risk Factors
Mild insulin resistance late in pregnancy is normal, but the presence of one or more risk factors increases the chance of this normal insulin resistance progressing. Obesity and a family history of diabetes are the two major risk factors for development of gestational diabetes.
Signs and Symptoms
In most cases, the only sign of gestational diabetes is an abnormally high blood glucose level, though a small number of pregnant women with this condition will also experience increased thirst and urination. Since there are no obvious signs that are observable during a regular physical exam, most pregnant women will have their blood glucose levels tested at about 24 weeks. If blood glucose appears high, then specific tests for gestational diabetes will be utilized.
Treatment
Treatment for gestational diabetes involves following a diet and exercise plan designed by a physician who specializes in prenatal care. This often means eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, participating in light or moderate exercise, and making sure to eat three well-balanced meals and two to four healthy snacks every 24 hours. Most women are also asked to check their blood sugar levels at four set times throughout each day. If it seems that dietary changes and exercise are not helping, injections of insulin may be prescribed.
If you have gestational diabetes and receive proper treatment, you will most likely deliver a perfectly healthy baby. However, failure to adequately control blood sugar levels during pregnancy can lead to health problems in newborns: For example, babies born to mothers with poorly controlled gestational diabetes are at higher risk for respiratory distress, liver problems and sudden death.
