[Biology Class Notes] on Gestational Diabetes Pdf for EXAM

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes which was raised up for the first time during pregnancy (gestation). As other types of diabetes are concerned, gestational diabetes affects the procedure our cells use sugar (glucose). Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can highly affect the pregnancy and baby’s health. While any complication regarding pregnancy is concerning, there is no good news. Expectant mothers can easily control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising and, if required, taking medication. Keeping the blood sugar in control can keep the mother and the baby healthy and stops a difficult delivery to take place. 

Women affected with gestational diabetes, blood sugar generally returns to normal soon after delivery. But if the mother had gestational diabetes, she has a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes. The mother needs to get tested for changes in blood sugar more frequently.For many women, gestational diabetes doesn’t produce any noticeable signs or symptoms. Increase in thirst and more-frequent urination are possible symptoms.

Gestational Diabetes Causes

The researchers haven’t yet found out the root cause of gestational diabetes . Some of the researchers say that the main gestational diabetes cause is the increase of weight of the women before the pregnancy . No other such gestational diabetes cause has been found out yet.

Generally, many hormones work up to keep the blood sugar levels at an optimum level.During pregnancy, hormone levels may increase and decrease , which makes it much harder for the mother’s body to breakdown blood sugar efficiently. This makes your blood sugar increase.

Gestational Diabetes Diagnosis

The doctor will give the mother a glucose examination or glucose screening test. The woman will be required to drink something sweet to raise your blood sugar. An hour later, the woman undergoes a blood test to see how her body has processed all that sugar. If the result of the test shows that her blood sugar is higher than a particular level, usually around 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), she will need an oral glucose tolerance test which means checking your blood sugar after going without food and having a 3-hour glucose test.

If she was at high risk but the undergone test results are normal, the doctor might test her again later in the timeline of pregnancy to make sure she still doesn’t have it.

Gestational Diabetes Treatment 

If the mother has gestational diabetes, the doctor needs to carry out the treatment as soon as possible to keep the mother and her baby healthy during her pregnancy and delivery. Your doctor will ask the mother to:

• To check her blood sugar levels four or more times a day

• To check her urine for ketones, chemicals that mean that her diabetes isn’t under  control

• To maintain a healthy diet.

• To exercise and maintain it as a habit.

The doctor will continuously keep track of her weight and her baby’s development. Doctors might give her insulin or another medicine to keep her blood sugar under control. The gestational diabetes treatment is essential for the mother during pregnancy.

Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes 

Some women tend to have a greater risk to obtain gestational diabetes. Risk factors for gestational diabetes consist of the following:

• Overweight and obesity are a major problem regarding women.

• A lack of physical exercise.

• Previous history of gestational diabetes or prediabetes.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome can be a major risk factor for Gestational diabetes.

• If the mother has a history of delivering a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4.1 kilograms).

• Nonwhite race — Women who are black, American Indian, Asian American and Pacific Islander and those of Hispanic descent have a much higher risk factor for gestational diabetes development.

Solved Example

1. Is Gestational Diabetes Caused by Diet?

A: Eating sugary foods generally , do not increase the risk for gestational diabetes. If any mother is diagnosed with gestational diabetes it will be important to manage her carbohydrate intake to best manage her blood sugar levels. This would include managing her intake of sugary foods.

Did You Know?

When researchers and doctors from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons studied the health data for 125 million US pregnancies for a study held in 2017 in the journal called BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the team made a surprising discovery: Rates of getting affected by gestational diabetes in pregnant mothers were 23 times higher in 2010 than in 1979.