As the name suggests, gestational diabetes occurs just in pregnant women. This type of diabetes occurs due to some problem in the placenta. As a result, the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin which causes the blood sugar levels to increase more than normal.

Usually this form of diabetes is diagnosed during 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. When the woman is being checked for gestational diabetes, she will be informed not to eat anything for 4 to 8 hours prior to the test. Then her blood sugar level is checked. Thereafter, she will be given a sugar laced drink and once again her blood sugar level will be checked after a period of 2 hours. If the blood sugar level is more than 140mg/dl, the diagnosis will be gestational diabetes.

This form of diabetes tends to manifest in obese women who are more than 25 years of age when they get pregnant. These women are more likely to get this form of diabetes if there is a family history of diabetes, had the same problem with earlier pregnancies or if there is too much amniotic fluid present.

While the woman is pregnant, if she experiences unusual thirst, hunger, weight gain or high blood pressure, then it can be a sign of gestational diabetes. Other signs of the disease are frequent urination or vaginal infections.

Pregnant women who have this disorder are put on a balanced diet without sugar. In addition, they have to exercise 3 to 4 times in a week to get rid of the excess weight they are carrying. Also, their diet will consist more of vegetables and fruits along with poultry and fish. Women have to achieve normal pregnancy weight during the course of their pregnancy in order to control the disease.

If gestational diabetes is not treated or controlled, it can be dangerous for the baby. The baby can get jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome, die after 28 weeks of pregnancy or die after birth as it will suffer from hypoglycemia after birth.

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