Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by Partha Protim Choudhury
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) occurs during pregnancy. The blood glucose level of the pregnant woman becomes high like in diabetes. These women have never before suffered from diabetes in their lives. There are two types of GDM. Doctors treat A1GDM by controlling diet alone. While doctors give medicines to treat A2GDM. In this article, you can find everything related to gestational diabetes.
Why is it important to diagnose GDM?
GDM can cause complications for the expecting mother. It can even harm the baby. GDM increases the chances of stillbirth, miscarriage, and caesarean surgery.
The biggest danger of GDM is developing a life-threatening condition called preeclampsia. The pregnant woman develops high blood pressure and excretes excessive proteins in the urine in the second half of the pregnancy.
At the time of birth, the baby may weigh too much, thereby increasing the risk of injuries. He/she/they may have low blood glucose and may develop breathing issues. The baby may be born prematurely.
Women with GDM have the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later. Type 2 diabetes can damage other organs like the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
What is the blood glucose range for pregnancy-related diabetes?
Pregnant women have high blood glucose levels during GDM. Blood glucose concentration is an indicator of the high glucose level. During early pregnancy, a woman is diabetic if:
- Fasting plasma glucose is equal to or greater than 126 mg/dl
- Spontaneous glucose level is greater than 200mg/dl
- HbA1c is greater than 6.5% before 20 weeks of pregnancy
The blood glucose target for pregnant women is 90-95 mg/dl fasting glucose and 120 mg/dl two hours after eating.
What are the causes of gestational diabetes?
In GDM, glucose tolerance and insulin resistance occur. The underlying two reasons cause gestational diabetes mellitus:
- Dysfunction of insulin-producing cells: Insulin is the hormone that controls the glucose metabolism in the body. Pancreatic beta cells produce this hormone. In GDM, there is a dysfunction in pancreatic beta cells, resulting in less insulin production. Another reason is that beta cells respond later than they should to the high blood glucose level in the blood.
- Hormonal cause: The placenta releases a hormone, lactogen, that blocks insulin in the body, causing insulin resistance. Other hormones like prolactin, progesterone, and growth hormone are also related to the development of GDM.
Who is at risk of developing gestational diabetes?
Not all women develop GDM during pregnancy. Women whose BMI is higher than 30 have a risk of developing GDM. This means shedding body weight before getting pregnant is ideal.
Next, women whose family members, like parents, have a history of diabetes may develop GDM. If a woman has suffered GDM during her first pregnancy, then her chances of developing GDM in a future pregnancy are higher.
If the pregnant woman already suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), she is in danger of developing GDM. If a pregnant woman is older than 25 years old, she has the risk of suffering from GDM. Additionally, the prevalence rates of GDM are higher in African, Hispanic, Indian, and Asian women.
What are the symptoms of developing GDM?
Usually, GDM is asymptomatic. As a precaution, your obstetrician gets blood glucose tests between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
If an expecting mother develops gestational diabetes during pregnancy, she may show some signs:
- Increased thirst and urination
- Extreme tiredness
- Unexplained weight gain or weight loss,
- Blurred vision
- Slow healing of injuries or wounds
What is the gestational diabetes diet plan?
Nutritional therapy is the most prominent way to deal with GDM. Taking a diet designed to control blood sugar will keep both mother and baby healthy. The BMI of the expecting mother determines the caloric allowance of the diet. For instance, doctors allow 12-15kcal/kg for BMIs above 30.
In the GDM diet plan, the dietician reduces carbohydrate intake by 35-45% of the total calories. The dietician distributes this intake over three meals, giving two to four bedtime snacks. This way reduces the glucose peak after eating, but the mother receives complete nutrition.
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