Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that can develop during pregnancy. It affects about 1 in every 20 pregnant women and can put both the mother and baby at risk. If you have gestational diabetes, your doctor will monitor your blood sugar levels throughout your pregnancy to keep them within a healthy range.
What are the Symptoms of Gestational Diabetes?
If you’re pregnant, it’s important to know the signs of gestational diabetes, which can affect you and your baby. Be aware of the symptoms because it can affect you and your baby. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue Increased urination
- Blurred vision or blurry vision
- Increased thirst
What Causes Gestational Diabetes?
The exact cause of gestational diabetes is unknown, but it may be linked to genetics, obesity, and high blood pressure.
What are the Risk Factors of Gestational Diabetes?
The risk factors for include:
- Being overweight or obese
- Not being physically active
- Having prediabetes
- Having had the condition during a previous pregnancy
- Having polycystic ovary syndrome
- Having an immediate family member with diabetes
- Having previously delivered a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms)
What are the Complications of Gestational Diabetes?
Gestational diabetes can cause several complications for both mother and child. These include,
- Excessive birth weight
- Early (preterm) birth
- Serious breathing difficulties
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
- Obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life
- Stillbirth
How can Gestational Diabetes be Prevented?
It can be prevented, but the only way to do so is to make healthy lifestyle choices before you become pregnant.
If you’ve had the condition, it is especially important to make these changes to reduce your risk of having it again in future pregnancies or developing type 2 diabetes.
Eating healthy foods and keeping active are two of the best ways to prevent the condition.
You should also start pregnancy at a healthy weight and avoid gaining more weight than recommended during pregnancy.
How is it Diagnosed?
It’s diagnosed by measuring blood glucose levels and performing an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).
In an OGTT, the patient drinks a sugar solution and has their blood sugar levels measured before and after two hours.
If the patient’s blood sugar level is above 140 mg/dL after two hours, they are diagnosed with the condition.
How is it Treated?
It is treated with a combination of diet and exercise. The goal of treatment is to keep blood sugar levels within normal limits. A healthy diet and proper exercise can help keep your blood sugar level within normal limits. Your healthcare provider will give you specific guidelines on what foods to eat and how much exercise to do.
Your doctor may also prescribe oral medications or insulin injections if these lifestyle changes do not work well enough to control your blood sugar levels.
If you or someone you know is pregnant and suffering from this condition, the obstetricians and gynecologists at Medeor Hospital, UAE, provide treatment and management of gestational diabetes. Our specialists are trained to meet the needs of women diagnosed with the condition through nutritional changes, medication, and blood glucose monitoring.
In addition to providing general obstetric care, we also focus on treating specific complications that may arise in women with gestational diabetes. If you think you might have the condition, talk to our expert about getting tested for it. Early detection and treatment are crucial to ensuring a healthy pregnancy and baby.
