Treatment For Gestational Diabetes
When a pregnant woman develops diabetes, this is known as gestational diabetes. Unlike pre-existing diabetes, the pregnant woman who develops gestational diabetes did not have diabetes prior to the pregnancy.
About four percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. The cause of gestational diabetes is not completely understood, but it may have to do with hormones that help the baby develop but have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the mother’s natural insulin in her body.
Since gestational diabetes occurs late in a pregnancy, it does not pose a risk of birth defects. The baby can be affected by increasing the baby’s body mass which makes the baby susceptible to injury during birth.
Newborns whose mothers had gestational diabetes are at an increased risk for breathing problems. Newborns may also have very low blood glucose levels at birth and may be at risk for childhood obesity and type II diabetes in adulthood.
Testing for gestational diabetes includes drinking a glucose solution and timed blood testing. A blood sample may be drawn at the beginning of the test. Women are typically tested again an hour after drinking a glucose solution and may be tested after a longer period of time.
A diabetic diet is used to treat gestational diabetes. The obstetrician is likely to have the pregnant woman with gestational diabetes meet with a dietitian who will design a diabetic diet.
The diabetic diet typically includes three meals and two snacks each day. The diet usually specifies how many servings of each food group should be eaten with each meal and snack. The dietician may provide a food exchange list that includes suggestions and serving sizes for each food group.
Checking blood sugar levels is an important part of managing gestational diabetes. The woman may be required to check her blood sugar levels multiple times a day and report the readings to the doctor’s office. If the gestational diabetes is not well managed, the pregnant woman may need to start taking insulin by injection.
It is not common for a woman or newborn to have diabetes immediately after birth. Women who have had gestational diabetes may be at increased risk of developing type II diabetes. With proper management, the effects of gestational diabetes on the mother and baby can be minimal.