What are the 3 main concerns with unmanaged gestational diabetes for the fetus?
Gestational Diabetes Resources We Love Show
Favorite Orgs for Essential Info on Gestational DiabetesAmerican Diabetes Association (ADA) The ADA is considered the leading nonprofit for diabetes education. Get tips on diet, exercise, and healthy habits to help manage gestational diabetes, and join the online community to connect with others who are going through similar experiences. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) ACOG is the leading group of obstetricians and gynecologists dedicated to improving women’s health. Learn about ways to manage gestational diabetes, how to track blood sugar levels, and steps you can take to have a healthy pregnancy from the experts who diagnose and treat the condition every day. Women With Gestational Diabetes This project from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an umbrella organization of more than 240 diabetes associations in 168 countries, offers articles, as well as video guides on insulin, healthy eating, and blood glucose monitoring. You can also test your knowledge with interactive quizzes on topics such as how to reduce your risk and how to manage gestational diabetes with diet and exercise. Favorite Gestational Diabetes Support GroupWhat to Expect Gestational Diabetes Forum What to Expect is a nationally leading and trusted source on all things pregnancy and parenting, and a partner site of Everyday Health. On this message board, connect with other women who are living with gestational diabetes and share your diet plans and other tips for staying healthy during pregnancy. Favorite App for Gestational DiabetesmySugr This app acts as a reliable companion to aid management of gestational diabetes. It can help you analyze dips and rises in your blood sugar readings, offers education about blood sugar management, and facilitates connecting you virtually with a certified diabetes care and education specialist. MySugr is free on Android and iOS with in-app purchases available. For more of our favorite diabetes apps, check out our list. Favorite Resource for Becoming an AdvocateInternational Diabetes Federation (IDF) Want to get involved and help others with gestational or other types of diabetes? Consider checking out the IDF’s advocacy network page, where you can find different organizations to work with to help increase diabetes-related research, legislation, and awareness. We don't know what causes gestational diabetes, but we have some clues. The placenta supports the baby as it grows. Hormones from the placenta help the baby develop. But these hormones also block the action of the mother's insulin in her body. This problem is called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance makes it hard for the mother's body to use insulin. She may need up to three times as much insulin. Gestational diabetes starts when your body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy. Without enough insulin, glucose cannot leave the blood and be changed to energy. Glucose builds up in the blood to high levels, called hyperglycemia. Growing baby, growing impactGestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not cause the kinds of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy. However, untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your baby. When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. So extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby's pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat. This can lead to macrosomia, or a "fat" baby. Babies with macrosomia face health problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems. Babies born with excess insulin become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes. CDC podcastThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) podcast, Gestational Diabetes and Women, tells expectant moms more about diabetes during pregnancy. Learn about managing gestational diabetes, its impact on your future health and what you can do to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes after you've had it. How does gestational diabetes affect the fetus?If you have gestational diabetes, your baby is at higher risk of: Being very large (9 pounds or more), which can make delivery more difficult. Being born early, which can cause breathing and other problems. Having low blood sugar.
What is a major complication of gestational diabetes that affects the infant?Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems. Babies born with excess insulin become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.
What are the risks of uncontrolled gestational diabetes?After your baby is born
If you've had gestational diabetes, you are also at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes during your life. Babies of mothers with gestational diabetes may also be at greater risk of developing obesity or diabetes in later life.
What are special concerns for the infant of a diabetic mother?The infant of a diabetic mother is often larger than expected for the gestational age. The infant of a diabetic mother may have higher risks for serious problems during pregnancy and at birth. Problems during pregnancy may include increased risk for birth defects and stillbirth.
|
