Gynecology, Obstetrics and In Vitro Fertilization Specialist Op. Dr. Seval Taşdemir explained what you need to know about sugar overload during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is the type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes affects the way your cells use sugar (glucose). Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar, which can affect your pregnancy and your baby's health.
But you can help control gestational diabetes by eating healthy foods, exercising, and taking medications if necessary. Controlling blood sugar can keep you and your baby healthy and prevent a difficult birth.
Blood sugar in women with gestational diabetes usually returns to normal soon after birth. But if you have gestational diabetes, your risk of type 2 diabetes is higher. You may need to be tested more frequently for changes in blood sugar.
For most women, gestational diabetes does not cause noticeable signs or symptoms. Increased thirst and more frequent urination are possible symptoms.
What are the causes?
There is no clear information yet as to why gestational diabetes occurs in some women and not in others. . However, being overweight before pregnancy is considered one of the reasons.
Normally, the body secretes various hormones to keep your blood sugar levels under control. But during pregnancy, hormone levels change, making it harder for your body to process blood sugar efficiently. This raises your blood sugar.
What are the risks?
Some women have a higher risk of gestational diabetes. Risk factors for gestational diabetes include: Overweight and obesity, lack of physical activity, previous gestational diabetes or prediabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, family history of diabetes, having previously given birth to a baby weighing more than 4.1 kilograms.
Gestational diabetes, if not carefully managed, can lead to high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can cause problems for you and your baby during labor. If you have gestational diabetes, your baby may be at increased risk for:
Giving birth to an overweight baby: Mothers' blood sugar If it is higher than normal, it may cause their baby to grow too big. Very large babies (those weighing 12 pounds or more) have difficulty passing through the birth canal.
Risk of premature birth: High blood sugar may increase the risk of premature birth before the due date of women, or early birth may be recommended because the baby is large.
Serious breathing difficulties:Babies born prematurely to mothers with gestational diabetes may experience respiratory distress syndrome. This is a condition that makes breathing difficult.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia): Sometimes babies of mothers with gestational diabetes can have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) shortly after birth. Severe hypoglycemia attacks can cause seizures in the baby. Fast feeding and sometimes intravenous glucose solution can return the baby's blood sugar level to normal.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life: Babies of mothers with gestational diabetes develop obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. The risk is higher.
Gestational diabetes can also cause various risks in the expectant mother:
High blood pressure and pregnancy poisoning: Gestational diabetes carries the risk of high blood pressure as well as pregnancy. increases the risk of poisoning. Pregnancy toxicity (preeclampsia) is a serious pregnancy complication caused by high blood pressure and other symptoms that can threaten the lives of both the mother and the baby.
Having a surgical birth: It is normal if you have gestational diabetes. It is more likely that an episiotomy (vaginal incision) will be made at birth.
Future risk of diabetes: If you have gestational diabetes, there is a higher risk of recurrence during subsequent pregnancy and of type 2 diabetes in old age. p>
What are diagnosis and treatment like?
If you are at average risk of gestational diabetes, you will probably have a screening test in your second trimester (between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy).
If you are at high risk of diabetes; For example, if you were overweight or obese before pregnancy or have a family history of diabetes, your doctor may test for diabetes early in the pregnancy.
Sugar loading can be done. In sugar loading You drink a syrupy glucose solution. An hour later, a blood test is taken to measure your blood sugar level. Blood sugar below 140 mg/dL on a glucose challenge test is generally considered normal, but this may vary by clinic or laboratory. If your blood sugar level is higher than normal, another glucose tolerance test may be performed depending on your situation.
A follow-up glucose tolerance test may be performed. This test is similar to the first test; but the sweet solution has more sugar and your blood sugar will be checked every hour for three hours. If at least two of the blood sugar values are higher than expected, you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
In the treatment of gestational diabetes, lifestyle changes, blood sugar monitoring, and drug therapy may be applied if necessary. Managing your blood sugar levels helps keep you and your baby healthy. Close management can also help you prevent complications during pregnancy and birth.
Your lifestyle, how you eat and move, are an important part of keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range. Losing weight during pregnancy is not recommended because your body is working hard to support your growing baby. Regular exercise, healthy nutrition and balanced weight gain are very important.
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