About 4 % of the pregnant women suffer from high sugar level in the blood during their pregnancy which is called gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes as such has no symptoms and it could be detected through the blood tests to be performed during the pregnancy. Generally the onset of gestational diabetes happens in the second trimester of the pregnancy during the 24th-28th week. Most of the women who suffer from gestational diabetes have healthy babies but if gestational diabetes is not treated well or remained untreated then complications of gestational diabetes could give rise to serious health problems in the mother and child in future and in some cases the child birth is also risky.
The complications of gestational diabetes which could affect the baby are-
1. Excessive weight gain- The excess glucose from the mother goes to the body of the baby through the placenta thus the babys pancreas is forced to produce more insulin and the baby increases in size. Such large babies could get injuries during birth or need to be delivered using C-section.
2. Early birth and breathing problems- The baby might be born before the maturity date. Such babies generally have problems in breathing or respiratory distress syndrome so they need help in breathing till their lungs are matured.
3. Hypoglycemia(low blood sugar)- As the babies of the mothers with gestational diabetes have high insulin production such babies are born with low blood sugar level which could start seizures in the babies.
4. Jaundice- The babies of the mothers with gestational diabetes might have yellowing of the skin and the white section of the eyes which is jaundice
5. Type 2 diabetes- Such babies are at the higher risks of type 2 diabetes later in their life.
The mothers with gestational diabetes if not treated well could have various complications of gestational diabetes such as-
1. Such women are at high risk of diabetes later in their life and also during their second pregnancy. So it is very much needed to have a healthy diet and exercised done to avoid such problems in future.
2. The women having
gestational diabetes are at high risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy and could make the situation life threatening for the mother and the child both
It is always better to control any health problem before it takes serious turn. Gestational Diabetes should also be treated with exercises and healthy diet.
