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Your worry is right if you are pregnant and are diagnosed of gestational diabetes. It means that increased care is needed for your health and your baby’s health.
Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Statistics show that it affects about three out of 100 of pregnant women. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all the pregnant women, i.e. about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year.
The body uses glucose to produce energy. But too much glucose in the blood can be damaging. During pregnancy too much glucose is not good for your baby. Gestational diabetes begins when your body is not able to produce and use the insulin it needs during pregnancy. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot leave the blood and neither can be changed to energy. Therefore, glucose builds up in the blood to high levels. This is called hyperglycaemia. The high blood sugar in the mother can damage the health of the foetus. Some of the complications the baby may face include premature delivery, respiratory problems, congestive heart failure and decreased ability to tolerate labour.
Risk factors that may predispose a woman to develop gestational diabetes…
- Maternal age of over 25 years
- Family history of diabetes
- Overweight women
- A previous child with birth defects or history of unexplained still birth
- Recurrent bladder or urinary tract infections
- A prior baby weighing more than 3.75 kg/9 pounds
- Race factor - African American, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic/ Latino and Pacific Islander
- Smoking
Symptoms…
- Excessive thirst
- Increased urination
- Unexplained excessive weight gain or weight loss
- Constant fatigue and tiredness which may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting
- Blurred vision
Effects Of Gestational Diabetes On Mother…
- High risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy
- Large baby and the need for caesarean section at delivery
- More likely to develop type 2 diabetes as they get older
- If a woman had it during one pregnancy she is more likely to have it in next pregnancy
Effects Of Gestational Diabetes On The Baby…
- Macrosomia (baby may grow too large)
- Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar)
- Jaundice
- Increased risk of childhood and adult obesity
- Increased risk of type 2 diabetes in later life
- Low calcium and magnesium
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS - a condition that makes breathing difficult)
Diagnosis…
The main method of diagnosis of gestational diabetes is the
- detection of traces or high levels of glucose in urine
- detection of high levels of glucose in the blood
Treatment…
Gestational diabetes if not taken care of then can hurt you and your baby. The treatment for diabetes during pregnancy requires expert supervision and also constant medical care to avoid any complications during pregnancy. Therefore, you need to start treatment early. The treatment for gestational diabetes aims to keep the blood glucose levels equal to those of pregnant women who do not have gestational diabetes. The treatment for gestational diabetes always includes special meal plans and scheduled physical activity. Daily blood glucose testing and insulin injections may also be a line of treatment. You will need help from your doctor and other members of your health care team so that your treatment for gestational diabetes can be changed as required.
Women who have had gestational diabetes should continue to be tested for diabetes in every 1 to 2 years as she may develop type 2 diabetes later and an early diagnosis can help prevent complications such as heart disease later in life.
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