What is Gestational Diabetes - Symptoms & Causes

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that is often diagnosed during pregnancy. It is a condition when the body fails to produce enough insulin to cope with the needs during pregnancy and the blood sugar level rises.

Key Points:

• Temporary Condition: After delivery, this condition seems to clear off, but pregnant women bear a considerable risk of getting type 2 diabetes sometime in the future.
• Affects Pregnancy: If treated improperly, gestational diabetes has effects on both the mother and the baby such as complications that increase the chances of premature birth, high birth weight of the child and problems during the time of delivery.

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

Gestational diabetes may not cause any signs and that is why it is usually detected during the screening between the 24-28 weeks of the pregnancy. However, there are some symptoms which may be felt early enough by some women as follows:

Signs of gestational diabetes:

• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Blurry vision
• Increased hunger
• Nausea

Gestational Diabetes Causes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops in a woman during pregnancy due to the inability of her body to produce sufficient insulin to keep her blood glucose levels normal. Here are the primary causes:

• Hormonal Changes During Pregnancy
• Insulin Resistance
• Pregnancy-Related Stress on the Pancreas
• Obesity
• Genetics
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Previous Gestational Diabetes
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Multiple Pregnancies

Gestational diabetes Risk Factors

Here are the Gestational diabetes complications during pregnancy:

• Personal or Family History
• Physical and Health Factors
• Age
• Pregnancy History
• Ethnicity
• Pre-diabetes or Abnormal Glucose Levels

Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis

Gestational diabetes testing:

• Glucose Challenge Test (GCT) – Screening Test

How it works:

• The patient consumes 50g of glucose dissolved in water and there is a test done on their blood glucose after one hour.

Normal result:

• The normal range of blood glucose level is regarded as below 140 mg/dL which is equivalent to 7.8 mmol/L.

If elevated:

• You will be required to have another test known as OGTT.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) – Diagnostic Test

Preparation:

• Fasting overnight.

Process:

• Fasting blood sample taken.
• Drink 75g or 100g glucose solution.
• The level of the blood sugar was determined one, two, and three hours after drinking it, in regard to the 100g version.

Diagnosis (according to 75g OGTT – WHO/ADA criteria:

• Fasting: ≥ 92 mg/dL (5.1 mmol/L)
• 1 hour: ≥ 180 mg/dL (10.0 mmol/L)
• 2 hours: ≥ 153 mg/dL (8.5 mmol/L)
• Diagnosis is conducted where one or more of them are high, based on the normal ranges of values on the laboratory test.

Gestational Diabetes Treatment

Gestational diabetes management focuses on keeping blood sugar levels within a healthy range to protect both mother and baby. The goal is to prevent complications during pregnancy and delivery.

Dietary Management (Medical Nutrition Therapy)

• Include small portions, refined carbohydrate food, proteins and healthy fats in the food plans.
• And also consider taking foods that are rich in fibers such as vegetables, whole grain and legumes.
• Eliminate mainly sweet products as well as soft drinks, sweet juices, candies, etc.
• The third dietary measure involves avoiding or at least limiting those foods which are made from carbs with high glycemic index such as white rice or bread.
• It is notable that dietitian, a registered one, may develop a special diet for the given client.

Physical Activity

• Regular moderate exercise such as a brisk walking should be done every day for thirty minutes.
• Physical activity plays important roles to adjust the insulin level and decrease the amount of glucose in blood.
• It is strongly advised that pregnant women seek their doctor’s permission before engaging in any new exercises.

Blood Sugar Monitoring

• Organization of blood sugar level refers to the monitoring of the levels four times in a day, by most women.
• Fasting (morning)
• 1 or 2 hours after meals

Gestational diabetes blood sugar levels

• Fasting: < 95 mg/dL (5.3 mmol/L)
• 1 hour after meals: < 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L)
• 2 hours after meals: < 120 mg/dL (6.7 mmol/L)

Medication or Insulin (if needed)

• In general, when these interventions may not sufficiently regulate blood sugar levels, the patient may have Diabetes mellitus.
• The oral drugs are often avoided during pregnancy and insulin is the common used medication during pregnancy.
• In certain circumstances, either metformin or glyburide oral drugs may be prescribed according to the judgment of the doctor.

Ongoing Prenatal Care

• Sample of increased frequency of prenatal visits; checking on the healthy growth of the fetus and the mother.
• In the third trimester, other ultrasounds or non-stress test may be performed.
• There might be modifications made to delivery planning in hope of avoiding factors such as macrosomia (a large baby).

Postpartum Follow-Up

• Levels of blood sugar normally decrease after delivering the baby.
• A glucose tolerance test is performed 6-12 weeks postpartum or in order to identify type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
• The patient should be monitored throughout her lifetime, because GDM is a significant predictor of the development of future diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy

There are various effects of gestational diabetes on pregnancy, though once controlled pregnant women can have no complications or have babies with no complications.

Impact on Pregnancy

Baby's Health Risks

• Macrosomia: Baby grows too large, above 4 kg and the birth becomes disastrous.
• Birth Injuries: Due to larger size, risk of shoulder dystocia during vaginal delivery.
• Low blood sugar (neonatal hypoglycemia): The individual may experience low glucose content in their body after birth.
• Preterm Birth: Early delivery or possibly require an induction.
• Respiratory illnesses: Particularly if they are born early.
• Jaundice: It becomes more frequent in babies that are born to mothers that contracted gestational diabetes.
• Higher lifetime risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in the child.

Mother’s Health Risks

• Pre-eclampsia: High blood pressure and signs of organ damage.
• C-Section Delivery: More likely if baby is large or complications arise.
• Increased amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios): May lead to early labor or complications.
• Urinary tract infections: Increases the probability of coming down with it.
• Future diabetes: Increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Gestational Diabetes Insulin Resistance

Gestational diabetes insulin resistance, thus, characterizes a decreased sensitivity of body cells to insulin during pregnancy. This is attributed to the fact that gestational diabetes is mainly attributed to issues that affect expectant women.

Why Insulin Resistance Matters

• This glucose is associated with the blood and does not pass into body cells.
• Hemoglobin abnormally gathers in the fetus and excess glucose passes through the placenta hence fetal enlargement (macrosomia) and other disorders that follow.
• Hyperglycemia in pregnancy is normal because the body has insulin resistance; if this is taken to another level then the result is gestational diabetes.

Why Choose GetWellGo for Gestational Diabetes?

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• Complete transparency
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• Case manager assigned to every patient to provide seamless support in and out of the hospital like appointment booking
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