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What Is Gestastional Diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is diabetes while pregnant. A pregnant woman with diabetes experiences high blood sugar levels, and gestational diabetes is not healthy for the expectant mother or the baby.

  1. Causes for Gestational Diabetes

    • Pregnancy hormones and weight gain sometimes cause difficulties with the insulin hormone, and if there is not enough insulin production, there is not enough energy derived from food consumption.

    Risks of Gestational Diabetes

    • Women at risk of gestational diabetes are family members with diabetes, African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, Hispanics, Latinos, Pacific Islanders, women older than 25 years old, overweight women, previous gestational diabetes, previous pregnancy resulting in the birth of a baby weighing more than 9 lbs., and women with pre-diabetes.

    Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes

    • The tests for diagnosis are the fasting blood glucose test, random blood glucose test, screening glucose challenge test and an oral glucose tolerance test.

    Effects of Gestational Diabetes on Mother

    • Gestational diabetes increases the chance for high blood pressure while pregnant, increases the chance of delivering a large baby through a cesarean section, and it increases the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.

    Effects of Gestational Diabetes on Baby

    • The effects of gestational diabetes on the baby are being born large, low glucose sugar levels after birth, breathing problems and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

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