Diabetes and Pregnancy
Diabetes during pregnancy is also called gestational diabetes which sometimes develops late in pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone that enables the body to break down sugar to be used as energy. Without sufficient insulin the amount of sugar in the blood rises. This form of diabetes usually disappears after the birth of the baby, but women who have had gestational diabetes stand a 20 to 50 percent chance of developing type II diabetes. Pregnancy hormones or a shortage of insulin causes gestational diabetes and may not show any symptoms.
Glucose levels in pregnant women can diagnose gestational diabetes as glucose levels are lower during pregnancy. Blood glucose levels are measured before a woman drinks a beverage containing glucose. After that levels are checked 1, 2, and 3 hours. A woman has gestational diabetes if two blood glucose levels meet or exceed certain number.
The cause of gestational diabetes can be the hormones produced during pregnancy that block the action of insulin. The mother’s body then cannot produce enough extra insulin to counteract this blocking effect.
Women are more at risk if they:
- they have a history of type II diabetes
- are over the age of 35
- are obese
- have previously given birth to a large baby
- have previously given birth to an abnormal baby
- have previously had a stillbirth late in pregnancy
The effect of gestational diabetes on the fetus during pregnancy is that high blood sugar can cause the baby to grow larger, which can lead to difficult delivery and injuries to both mother and baby during birth.
Treatment involves regular testing of blood sugar, a planned diet and sufficient exercise.
Tagged under:Diabetes Information during pregnancy gestational diabetes insulin pregnancy
