A woman who is in her twenty-fourth to twenty-eighth week of pregnancy can develop a form of diabetes called gestational diabetes, even if she has no history of the disease. 135,000 cases of gestational diabetes are documented in the United States each year. Despite the fact that it is a severe situation, women detected with gestational diabetes can give birth to infants that are healthy. The risks of gestational diabetes are reduced with appropriate medical care, a nutritious diet, and weight gain that is neither too slow nor too rapid. Between the twenty-fourth and twenty-eighth weeks of pregnancy, a health care provider will order testing to rule out gestational diabetes. There are two testing methods that can be used. Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (One Step): involves fasting for four to eight hours and measuring blood glucose levels. Then a sugar drink is consumed and the blood glucose is again measured after two hours. Two Step: involves drinking the high sugar drink first, then blood glucose is measured after one hour. A non-diabetic's level will be in the normal range within one hour. If the levels are high, the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test will then be performed. No one knows why gestational diabetes happens, but some speculations are that the fetus makes hormones that prevent the mother from making adequate amounts of insulin to maintain blood sugar levels. A pregnant woman's body is undergoing change and can require up to three times the normal amount of insulin needed to control her blood sugar levels. Macrosomia can occur in the infant if the surplus of sugar is passed to them through the placenta. Additional risks for the mother-to-be and her child are: A caesarian section may be needed to prevent endangering a macrosomic infant. Low blood glucose levels may exist in the baby. Jaundice may be present in the baby. There may be low levels of minerals in the baby's blood. The baby may have trouble with breathing when born. Children born under these circumstances run higher risks of being overweight. Developing Type 2 diabetes is more common in the mothers and children. The risk of gestational diabetes in future pregnancies is higher. In order to avoid risks to both mother and her baby, gestational diabetes needs to be diagnosed and treated quickly. Along with other advice that the health care provider gives, a healthy diet and safe exercise program should be initiated. Carbohydrate intake needs to be minimized because they are almost directly converted to sugar. Moderate exercise helps to maintain weight gain. An excessive weight gain leads to risks for the mother as well as the immediate and future risks to the baby. If Insulin is needed to control blood sugar levels, take it as directed by the healthcare provider. Monitoring the blood glucose level closely is another way to avoid risk. Gestational diabetes corrects itself on its own after delivery. The placenta is not making hormones that have an effect on the mother's capability to manufacture insulin. It is strongly urged to get another glucose test approximately six weeks after delivering to make certain that Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes was not mistakenly diagnosed as gestational diabetes. Also, having another test executed will also evaluate the possibility of getting Type 2 diabetes in the future. Women who have had gestational diabetes, and their children, can reduce the risk of having Type 2 diabetes later on by making alterations in their eating and exercising habits. Eating right and exercising are essential to losing weight; obesity is the leading cause of Type 2 diabetes.
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