Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is indicated by high blood sugar (glucose) levels during pregnancy in women who have not yet had diabetes. About 4% of all pregnant women are affected by gestational diabetes which translates to about 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes in the United States each year.

The hormones from the placenta help the baby develop as the placenta supports the baby's growth. Although the exact causes of gestational diabetes are not known, these hormones leave a clue. The placenta's hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. Insulin resistance, as it is called, makes it difficult for the mother's body to use insulin. As a result, she may need up to three times as much insulin.

Gestational diabetes starts when the mother's body is not able to produce and use all the insulin required during pregnancy. Insufficient insulin production causes glucose to not leave the blood and be changed to energy. Glucose builds up in the blood to high levels, a condition known as "hyperglycemia".

Gestational diabetes can affect your baby.

While the baby is still busy growing, but after the baby's body has been formed is when gestational diabetes affects the mother. Gestational diabetes does not cause the types of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy. However, untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your baby.

With gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels, even though insulin itself does not transfer to the placenta. This causes the baby's pancreas 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. Macrosomia, or a "fat" baby can result. Macrosomia babies face their own health problems, such as damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin manufactured by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels at birth leading to higher risk for breathing problems. Babies with excess insulin are at risk for obesity as children and at risk for type 2 diabetes as adults. (Source: American Diabetes Association)

Are you at risk? The American Diabetes Association offers this online diabetes evaluation.

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