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Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes which comes upon a woman while she is pregnant. This illness can come upon a warm and even though he has never been a diabetic. The clinical definition of this condition is simply high blood sugar while pregnant. The exact cause of this type of diabetes is unknown, but there is some speculation. It is believed that the placenta releases hormones which bought the woman’s body from absorbing the insulin within the body. When this situation occurs it is referred to as insulin resistance.

The illness will arise as the womans body begins to either make too much insulin, or not be able to use the amount that it does produce. Hyperglycemia occurs after glucose has built to a very high level after being produced and not being used in the proper manner. During gestational diabetes the pancreas will work twice as hard to produce the insulin that it believes your body needs, even though the insulin is not doing its job of reducing the glucose in the blood.

If left untreated, the disease can cause harm to the child. The insulin which is produced by the mother does not reach the baby within her; however the glucose which is being overproduced does reach the baby. In an effort to stem the overflow of insulin coming into the baby’s body, the baby’s pancreas will create more insulin and attempt to get rid of the extra insulin.

When this situation occurs it can often lead to macrosomia, which is the term used for an extremely fat baby. These babies who are born with macrosomia oftentimes also have other health issues related directly to it. Babies with excess fat can frequently get stuck during childbirth which can put the babys health in serious danger. Fat babies can receive damage to their shoulders while being born which can be serious enough to cause permanent damage in the shoulder. They have a tendency to be obese throughout life, and are also more at risk for Type 2 diabetes when they reach adulthood.

Treating gestational diabetes includes regular exercise and a specialized eating regimen which is geared to reducing glucose levels in the body. The glucose levels must be monitored carefully, and insulin injections may be ordered by your physician if need be. The treatment strategy may vary as the disorder is brought successfully under control.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008 at 7:15 pm and is filed under Diabetes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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