By: Moses Wright
Published: October 1, 2009
When a pregnant woman develops diabetes, this is known as gestational diabetes. Unlike pre-existing diabetes, the pregnant woman who develops gestational diabetes did not have diabetes prior to the pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes affects about four percent of pregnancies. Though the cause of gestational diabetes is not completely understood, a hormone that is produced that encourages the growth of the baby can inhibit the ability of the mother's natural insulin to metabolize glucose.
Birth defects are not a risk of gestational diabetes since gestational diabetes occurs late in the pregnancy. Since gestational diabetes increases the baby's size, the baby may be at increased risk of injury during birth.
Newborns of mothers who had gestational diabetes are prone to breathing problems. The newborns may also have very low blood glucose levels at birth and be susceptible to obesity and type II diabetes later in life.
Blood tests are done to check for gestational diabetes. A blood sample may be drawn at the beginning of the test. The pregnant woman is required to drink a glucose solution and have at least one more blood test after time has passed.
Gestational diabetes is treated with a diabetic diet. A pregnant woman with gestational diabetes may need to meet with a dietitian who will create a diabetic diet for the pregnant woman to follow.
The diabetic diet typically includes three meals and two snacks each day. The diet usually specifies how many servings of each food group should be eaten with each meal and snack. The dietician may provide a food exchange list that includes suggestions and serving sizes for each food group.
Checking blood sugar levels is an important part of managing gestational diabetes. The woman may be required to check her blood sugar levels multiple times a day and report the readings to the doctor's office. If the gestational diabetes is not well managed, the pregnant woman may need to start taking insulin by injection.
The newborn and mother do not usually have diabetes after birth. Women who have had gestational diabetes have an increased risk of type II diabetes. When the gestational diabetes is managed properly, the lasting effects are minimal.
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