Complications of gestational diabetes

Definition

Diabetes is a chronic disorder that occurs in cases when human body stops producing enough hormones called insulin, and as a result, elevates the level of blood sugar. There are various types of diabetes, and most common are Gestational diabetes type 1 and 2. Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnancy, and like other kind of diabetes it elevates your blood sugar level. Blood sugar is a main fuel of the body and while this disorder may not affect you, it can be possibly harmful to your unborn baby.

Fortunately, Gestational diabetes can be successfully managed during pregnancy with healthy adapted diet special sets of exercises, and medication, if necessary. Also soon after delivery, blood sugar level are back to normal so all you have to do is to take good care of yourself during pregnancy, and hopefully, you and your baby will be all right.

Complication of Gestational diabetes

Although majority of pregnant women with Gestational diabetes delivers perfectly healthy babies if you do not take care of your blood sugar level problems during pregnancy, it could have some possible complications for your baby and you. There are two types of possible complications; ones that can affect you and ones that can affect your baby. Here is a short description for some of them.

Complications of Gestational diabetes that can affect you

If you have Gestational diabetes during pregnancy, you are at higher risk of having diabetes again, in the future pregnancy. You can also develop diabetes, typically type 2 even without pregnancy, in your older age. But if you take precaution, you can prevent future diabetes occurrence by maintain healthy diet life style and exercises. In that case your chances are diminishes in less than 25%.

You are also at elevated risk of having UTI, or urinary tract infections. Cases of women with Gestational diabetes during pregnancy have twice as much chance of UTI, either during pregnancy or later in the life. This is a consequence of extra glucose in your urine (exec sugar is extorted from the body in urine during diabetes phase).

Condition characterized by excess protein and high blood pressure is called Preeclampsia, and women with Gestational diabetes during pregnancy are at higher risk for this condition. This disorder may happen after 20th week of pregnancy and if left untreated, this disorder may have serious consequences to your health.

Complications that may affect your baby

Jaundice is one of possible complications for your baby in cases of Gestational diabetes during pregnancy. This disorder is characterized by yellowish discoloration on the skin and the eyes whites, and it may happen if baby’s liver in not developed enough.

Also your baby is at elevated risk to have diabetes type 2, respiratory distress syndrome, low blood sugar, some development problems or excess growth, in the future.

Chances of all of this possible complications are pretty low but you should take extra care for any of those complication’s symptoms, nevertheless.