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Definition
Gestational diabetes is a condition characterized by elevated blood sugar brought on by pregnancy. The condition affects 4 percent of all pregnancies in the United States each year, according to the American Diabetes Association.
The condition affects the mother in late pregnancy - usually beginning sometime around weeks 20 through 24 - after the baby is formed. Gestational diabetes can hurt the baby if not controlled. The blood sugars of most women return to normal after they deliver. However, they are at risk of again developing gestational diabetes with subsequent pregnancies. Other women go on to develop type 2 diabetes and require treatment for the rest of their lives.
Prognosis
The good news is that gestational diabetes often can be controlled with diet and exercise. But for a few women, the condition may require insulin injections. Gestational diabetes ends once the pregnancy has ended, but it increases the risk of the mother developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Yearly glucose screenings are recommended for women who have had gestational diabetes. There is also a higher chance for developing the condition in later pregnancies.
More on Gestational Diabetes What Is Gestational Diabetes?
In the Encyclopedia:
Diabetes mellitus
Gestational diabetes
Antidiabetic drugs
Diabetic ketoacidosis
This article was reviewed June 2005, by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology, and Biologic Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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