|
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a rare form of diabetes and it occurs only in pregnant women. It is not so wide-spread as one might fear – only less than 5% of all pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes, though the figures vary among races and nationalities. Generally, women of Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or African descent are more predisposed to developing gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is similar to Type 2 diabetes because your blood sugar levels go up due to the glucose intolerance you develop. But unlike Type 2 diabetes, generally gestational diabetes disappears after the delivery. However, you must take gestational diabetes in earnest because if you don't diagnose it and don't take the necessary measures to put it under control, this can have negative impact on your baby and you. Besides racial and national predisposition, some of the other factors that lead to gestational diabetes are obesity, age over 35 years, gestational diabetes during previous pregnancies, polycystic ovary syndrome in the past and some hormonal disorders, which become especially tangible during pregnancy. In many countries it is a standard practice to test all pregnant women for gestational diabetes, so even if you don't want to, you will be tested for it. However, if your doctor(s) don't do it, you should ask them to be tested because this way you will avoid possible complications. Gestational diabetes is tested using a glucose tolerance test and the first glucose tolerance test must be done between the 24th and 28th week of your pregnancy. If there are risk factors, the first test should be done earlier – during the first trimester and then two additional tests (one per trimester) must be done as well, even if the first test shows no gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes must be treated because if left untreated, it poses serious risks for both the mother and the child. There are risks during the pregnancy itself, during the delivery and even for the rest of the child's life. There are many approaches to treating gestational diabetes. The first step is dietary changes, which are aimed at restoring the blood glucose balance. Starvation, however, is not appropriate because it leads to even more serious complications but a reasonable reduction of the intake of sugars is OK. Exercising is also great but as with dietary changes, it is your doctor, who must make the decision how to proceed. If these measures are not enough, your doctor might prescribe you to intake insulin. This is safe, so don't worry. As a rule, gestational diabetes is gone after the delivery but still one or more tests of you and the baby are necessary in order to confirm that everything is under control. However, the fact that you had gestational diabetes is a warning that you are predisposed to Type 2 diabetes, so even if you don't have any complaints, make regular checks in the future. |
