Gestational diabetes is a threat to the health or even life of the mother and the child. It occurs in approx. 10% of pregnant women. The percentage, however, is increasing due to the spreading of obesity and delayed motherhood. If early diagnosed and properly treated, the disorder may proceed without any serious consequences.
Gestational diabetes is a term for carbohydrates metabolism disorders diagnosed during pregnancy which have not occurred before. Although they usually disappear after the child is born, there is an increased risk that the women will have diabetes in the future, in particular type 2 diabetes.
Which women are the most prone to gestational diabetes?
The risk group includes pregnant women over 35 years of age who have given birth to a baby weighing more than 4 kg or a child with a developmental defect.
The disorder may also occur in women who experienced intrauterine death of the foetus in the past, are currently suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, hypertension, obesity or overweight, have a family history of type 2 diabetes, have given birth to many children, or have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during one of the previous pregnancies.
Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can contribute to the development of gestational diabetes.
Dangerous for the mother and the child
Gestational diabetes may trigger complications hazardous both to the child and the mother. These include a greater number of children’s perinatal injuries and their higher mortality rate, as well as an increased risk of hypoglycaemia and congenital defects in neonates.
In turn, pregnant women with glucose metabolism disorders are more prone to polyhydroamniosis, preeclampsia (which manifests itself, among others, with high arterial pressure, swelling, disrupted vision, headache and vertigo) and eclampsia (life-threatening condition involving convulsions, loss of consciousness and coma).
What is important, however, that due to the early diagnosis and proper control of blood glucose levels, the risk of the mentioned complications can be significantly reduced. Therefore, the Polish Diabetes Association (PTD) issued recommendations on the risk factors of gestational diabetes.
Early diagnosis is a key
According to the PTF recommendations, women who are not in the risk group for gestational diabetes already during their first visit to a gynaecologist (in the 1st trimester of pregnancy) should be referred to undergo a fasting glucose level test. If the glucose concentration does not exceed 100 mg/dl, it is normal.
If, however, the glucose level is 100 mg/dl or more, further tests are needed; depending on the result, the doctor may order the patient to retake the fasting glucose level test or to perform a fasting oral glucose challenge test with a 75 gram glucose dose.
If the result is normal, the test should be retaken between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. However, if the result is abnormal, the patient must consult a diabetology outpatient clinic.
Treating gestational diabetes
For some patients with diagnosed gestational diabetes to keep the normal glucose levels it is enough to change the diet and strictly follow its prescriptions, and to take a specific set of exercises. This applied to class G1 gestational diabetes.
In the case of G2 gestational diabetes, it is necessary to implement additional insulin therapy. However, oral anti-diabetes medications are not recommended.
More information on gestational diabetes is available on www.cukrzyca.info.pl.
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