What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is the condition of pregnant women who develop high levels of blood sugar or glucose. It is usually diagnosed with 28th week. Almost four percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which is equal to approximately 135,000 women in the United States annually.

Gestational diabetes occurs when the female pregnant body cannot produce and use the insulin that needs pregnancy correctly. As a result, unused glucose increases and compounds in the blood and leads to hyperglycemia. Although the exact cause of gestational diabetes is unknown, it may have something to do with the fact that normal pregnancy hormones from the placenta block pass through the insulin process for the mother, resulting in insulin resistance. Because gestational diabetes develops later during pregnancy, it usually does not affect the child in terms of congenital defects.

If the condition is treated incorrectly, the child may end up with the High Left Glucose in his blood. The child again spews another insulin from the bellyIt is to act against high glucose. The extra energy that the child receives as a result of insulin overproduction results in fat. As a result, children born to mothers with gestational diabetes tend to have higher birth weights. Gestational diabetes can lead to an increased risk of injury to the child during labor, respiratory problems, obesity and development of type 2 diabetes later in life.

The treatment of gestational diabetes involves a decrease in blood glucose through strict diet and exercise. Constant glucose monitoring and possible insulin injections may also be prescribed. Fortunately, gestational diabetes is usually solved with delivery. However, it is likely that two of the three women with a gestational diabetes develop a condition with subsequent pregnancies.

Risk factors for developing gestational diabetes include obesity, previous history diabetes, family history of diabetes, age over 30 years, high bloodPressure and frequent urinary tract infections. Women who had large children, dead births, abortions or congenital defects in previous pregnancies are also exposed to a higher risk of developing the condition.

With any type of diabetes, prevention is crucial. A woman who hoped to get pregnant should be within 20% of her ideal body weight, eat healthy diet regularly and exercise. A healthy lifestyle increases the chances of a woman to enjoy a healthy pregnancy without complications.