Gestational diabetes causes high blood sugar that can affect pregnancy and the baby's health. Every year, 2% to 10% of pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes starts when human 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. Insulin is a hormone made by pancreas that acts like a key to let blood sugar into the cells in the body for use as energy.
Gestational diabetes develops in the second half of pregnancy, and it goes away after delivery. Obesity is one of the main risk factors for gestational diabetes.
It usually goes away again after giving birth. It is usually diagnosed from a blood test 24 to 28 weeks into pregnancy. About 50 to 70 percent of women who have gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Research found that babies born to mothers with GDM have a higher birth weight and may become obese during adolescence,
Most of the time, gestational diabetes does not cause noticeable signs or symptoms. Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing.
Gestational diabetes: Cause and symptoms
