Persistently high blood sugar during pregnancy is called gestational diabetes. Like other types of diabetes, it means that the body doesn't process sugar in the blood the way it's supposed to. Unlike other types of diabetes, it usually goes away once your baby is born. High blood sugar during pregnancy can cause problems for your baby and your delivery, so it's important to have it diagnosed and treated as early as possible.
Definition
Normally, sugar molecules in your bloodstream are moved into the cells to be used as energy. This happens through a substance called insulin. Hormones produced by your body during pregnancy can inhibit insulin's action, raising your blood sugar levels. Accordingly, some women develop high blood sugar when pregnant; this is called gestational diabetes.
Diagnosis
Gestational diabetes doesn't often cause symptoms in pregnant women. Occasionally, it may cause increased thirst or urination, but since these are also symptoms of normal pregnancy, it's difficult to detect high blood sugar through symptoms alone. Instead, pregnant women are asked to take a glucose challenge test. In this test, you'll be given a sugary drink, then asked to wait for an hour without ingesting other foods or liquids. When the hour is up, your blood will be taken and the blood sugar level tested. If you fail this test, you'll be asked to take a similar test with a three-hour wait.
Risk Factors
Women who are over 25, have a family history of Type 2 diabetes, are prediabetic or are overweight are more likely to develop gestational diabetes. Women who are black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian are also more likely to develop it. The cause is not yet known, however, and any pregnant woman has the potential to develop it.
Consequences
If you have high blood sugar during your pregnancy, your doctor will probably want to see you more frequently than she otherwise would. She will monitor your blood sugar level and may refer you to other professionals to help you manage your blood sugar levels. High blood sugar increases your risk of pre-eclampsia, urinary tract infections and diabetes later in life. Your baby may also be at higher risk for a number of issues, including excessive growth, which may cause problems during delivery; hypoglycemia; respiratory distress syndrome; jaundice; impaired motor skill development; and Type 2 diabetes later in life.
Treatment
Keeping your blood sugar levels under control is important in keeping your pregnancy healthy. Your doctor may ask you to monitor your blood sugar multiple times a day, eat a healthy diet high in whole grains and low in carbohydrates, exercise or take insulin injections if necessary. Your baby will be monitored more closely than he would otherwise be, and your doctor may be more reluctant to allow you to go past your due date.
