As much as 1 in 10 Pregnancies will be affected by gestational diabetes. Factors such as the mother’s age and increasing rates of obesity influence this increasingly common complication of pregnancy.
HealthyWomen spoke with Maureen E. Farrell, MD, FACOGOB-GYN and Navy veteran, about what a diagnosis of gestational diabetes means for you and your pregnancy.
what is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is glucose intolerance that is first diagnosed during pregnancy. It often resolves shortly after delivery.
What causes gestational diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when a person’s body cannot produce enough of the hormone. insulin to control blood sugar levels, and they rise too high. Some women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB) develop diabetes during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. He placenta (the organ in the uterus that nourishes the growing fetus) creates hormones necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Those same hormones can make it difficult to produce enough insulin.
The body will usually still be able to control glucose and keep blood sugar at healthy levels during pregnancy. But for some people, insulin production can’t keep up.
Is when Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) it develops.
What are the risk factors for developing gestational diabetes?
Many factors contribute to the development of gestational diabetes, including:
- Having prediabetes before pregnancy: Prediabetes is when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes.
- Previous pregnancies with gestational diabetes
- Have close relatives who have some type of diabetes.
- Multiple pregnancies
- Age: People over 25 years of age are most at risk
- Previous delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
- Race: Hispanics, Blacks, Native Americans, and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders are diagnosed at higher rates than non-Hispanic whites.
- Weight before pregnancy: those who live with overweight and obesity are more like develop DMG
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder
Can people who have normal blood sugar levels before pregnancy develop gestational diabetes?
Yes. Women who have normal blood sugar levels before pregnancy can develop gestational diabetes.
How is gestational diabetes diagnosed?
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed by a fasting glucose tolerance test. This is most often given during the second trimester, between 25 and 28 weeks of gestation. People with a history of GDM or other risk factors may be screened earlier.
What are the risks of gestational diabetes for the mother?
Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes tend to be larger than averagewhich increases the likelihood of birth complications, including the need for a cesarean section, excessive bleeding after childbirth, and damage to the birth canal.
Gestational diabetes also increases the risk of preeclampsia. Mild forms of preeclampsia can be controlled by careful monitoring of blood pressure and regular baby checks. Severe cases can cause liver and kidney damage to the mother.
What are the risks of gestational diabetes for the baby?
Babies born to mothers with poorly controlled gestational diabetes are often large, called macrosomia. This can make delivery dangerous for the baby because she can get stuck in the birth canal. The extra sugar they receive also causes the baby to produce too much insulin in the womb. This can lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels after childbirth. and so? increases a child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, as well as obesity and metabolic disorders in childhood.
Preeclampsia in the mother, which is often accompanied by gestational diabetes, can only be treated with delivery of the baby, so the risk of premature birth also increases with gestational diabetes.
Untreated severe gestational diabetes can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.
How is gestational diabetes controlled?
Many pregnant people can control their blood sugar level with healthy nutrition Habits and regular exercise. If those methods don’t work, you may need to take insulin. Monitoring your blood sugar throughout the day, including before and after eating, will let you know if your lifestyle and diet changes are working. Your OB-GYN and possibly a nutritionist will work with you to keep your blood sugar at levels that are safe for you and your baby.
How does gestational diabetes affect long-term health outcomes?
For most women, once the pregnancy hormones wear off, your body will return to regulating its own blood sugar normally, but not always. Anyone who has had gestational diabetes should get a test six weeks after giving birth to ensure their blood sugar levels have returned to normal. Mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes also have a higher risk of other cardiovascular complications after pregnancy, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
One in 2 women who develop gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes. But healthy eating and regular exercise can help reduce your chances.
This educational resource was created with the support of AstraZeneca.
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