Gestational Diabetes
What is Gestational Diabetes? Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy due to insufficient insulin and high blood sugar.
This can appear in the second trimester between 24-28 weeks.
Testing for Diagnoses
Procedure to Confirm Diagnoses- Glucose Challenge Test: which is when somome drinks a sweet liquid to test blood sugar levels. If results are high a Glucose Tolerance Test, fast for 8 hours drink sweet liquid. During this test blood is drawn at hour intervals to test blood resistance.
Facts
Symptoms- frequent urination, nausea, tiredness, thrist
Factors that increase risk- heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, family history
Frequency- 2-10% of Women in U.S. develop Gestational Diabetes
How Mother and Baby are Affected
Gestational Diabetes increases the risk of the mother for developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The risk for needing a C-Section increases, also baby enlargement, and the baby could have breathing problems. The diabetes also increases the risk of the child developing obesity.