Gestational Diabetes - Causes, Symptoms, Treatments
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by: stbotanicauk
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Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before, but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, are said to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnancies, making it one of the top health concerns related to pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnancies. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center article citing Doctors Florence Brown and Tamara Takoudes, co-directors of the Joslin-Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Diabetes and Pregnancy Program, certain groups (African-American, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaskan native communities) are showing a rise in occurances. Make no mistake, though, any woman is at risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy! Causes of Gestational Diabetes Gestational diabetes occurs in women who are 28 weeks pregnant or further. It generally occurs in women who do not have diabetes, but during their pregnancy, they have high blood sugar. Approximately 10% of pregnant women have gestational diabetes. No one really knows what causes gestational diabetes The placenta supports the baby as it grows and hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin, so she may need up to three times as much insulin. Symptoms Signs and symptoms in most cases are unnoticeable but in some cases increased urine production and excessive thirst and fatigue develop. The complications that can occur for the baby if the disease is left untreated can be lethal. These complications include the baby growing too large because of the extra glucose causing the baby to produce too much insulin resulting in a c-section birth or the baby getting stuck in the birth canal possibly sustaining injuries. Other complications for the baby are Respiratory distress syndrome, jaundice, low blood sugar and the later development of Type 2 Diabetes, and maybe even death. Treatments for Gestational Diabetes Treatments for gestational diabetes are basically the same as treatments used for regular diabetics. There are, however, certain differences due to several factors. For one, gestational diabetes only manifests during pregnancy, and usually disappears after. For another thing, gestational diabetes affects both the mother and her unborn child, so any dietary and medical treatments have to take both of them into account. Normally, insulin shots and a low sugar diet are the main ways to combat diabetes. However, for a woman who is suffering gestational diabetes the insulin shots have to be modulated to ensure that they do not harm the growth and development of the baby. As for the low sugar diet, having TOO low a count of glucose in the body will definitely harm the baby, so again it has to be applied in judicious doses. |
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