Every year in the United States, as many as 10% of pregnant women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops exclusively during pregnancy. Like Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes carries some significant health risks, in this case for both the expectant mom and the baby she’s carrying.
At his Newburgh, Indiana, practice, Paul Morrison, MD, offers prenatal care for women with high-risk pregnancies, including moms-to-be with gestational diabetes. November is National Diabetes Month, which means it’s a great time to learn why gestational diabetes happens, how we treat it, and what you can do to help prevent it from occurring.
Like other types of diabetes, gestational diabetes happens when your body doesn’t produce the insulin necessary to balance your blood sugar (glucose) levels. Elevated glucose levels can lead to health complications that affect both the mother and the developing baby.
Women with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that causes high blood pressure (hypertension) and other health risks. Women with gestational diabetes are also more likely to need to deliver by cesarean section (C-section) and to go on to develop Type 2 diabetes after their pregnancy.
For babies, unmanaged gestational diabetes can lead to an array of complications, including high birth weight, premature birth, and stillbirth, along with respiratory problems and low blood sugar at birth. Gestational diabetes also increases your child’s risks of obesity and Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Gestational diabetes is associated with multiple risk factors, and knowing your own risk factors is an important part of both managing the disease and preventing it, too. The most common risk factors include:
Women of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry also have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Having prenatal checkups is the best way to monitor for gestational diabetes through regular screening. If you’re not pregnant yet, scheduling a prepregnancy checkup and discussing your risk factors with Dr. Morrison could help prevent the condition from developing.
If you have gestational diabetes, your management plan will be unique to you and your baby’s needs, typically revolving around a healthy eating plan, regular physical exercise, and glucose monitoring to keep track of your blood sugar levels.
Because gestational diabetes is associated with high-risk pregnancies, you’ll likely need more frequent prenatal visits so we can keep a close watch on you and your baby’s health. These visits also give Dr. Morrison the opportunity to monitor for high blood pressure and other complications associated with gestational diabetes.
Prenatal care is critical for staying healthy and preventing pregnancy complications. To learn more about gestational diabetes and how we can help you manage it, call 812-490-5200 or book an appointment online with the practice of Paul W. Morrison, M.D., today.
