Pregnancy Complications Gestational DiabetesGestational diabetes is when a pregnant woman, who has never been diagnosed with diabetes before, has high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy.
There aren’t any definitive answers about what causes gestational diabetes, but there are some clues. The same hormones from the placenta help the baby develop; also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This creates a problem called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. A pregnant woman can need up to three times the insulin she normally does. Most women’s bodies will adjust to the need and her body will produce enough insulin to change the glucose into energy.
A woman who has diabetes before pregnancy may have an increased risk of her baby being born with birth defects. This is not the case with gestational diabetes, because gestational diabetes can affect the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing. There are risks to untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes.
The risks to baby:
- Insulin does not cross the placenta, but glucose and other nutrients do. This means extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. The baby's pancreas must work to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat.
- A baby can become fat (macrosomia) when the mom has gestational diabetes. Babies with macrosomia face problems like damage to their shoulders during birth and risks associated with cesarean birth.
- The extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas can cause newborns to have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems.
- Babies with excess insulin become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type-2 diabetes.
The risks to mom
- Diabetic shock from blood levels too low
- Cesarean delivery if baby is too big
- Injury or complications due to baby’s size with a vaginal delivery
Treating gestational diabetes will include special meal plans and scheduled physical activity. Rarely will it also include daily blood glucose testing and insulin injections. It can be easily managed to eliminate or reduce risks to the mom and baby.
