Between 2 and 7 percent of women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, which according to BabyCenter.com makes it one of the most common health complications during pregnancy. Doctors diagnose gestational diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy via a series of tests that detect high glucose levels. While researchers don't know for certain why women develop high blood sugar during pregnancy, there are many credible clues about causes and risk factors supported by the medical community. Getting tested and following medical advice to manage gestational diabetes is important to ensure both mother and baby remain healthy.
Pregnancy Hormones
Pregnancy hormones secreted by the placenta help the baby develop, but also hamper the mother's ability to use the insulin she produces. As a result, the pancreas produces more in an effort to ensure the body is receiving enough to support it and the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes occurs when a woman's pancreas cannot keep up with the insulin demand, according to the American Diabetes Association, and blood glucose levels begin to rise.
Weight Gain
A February 2010 study appearing in the "Obstetrics & Gynecology" journal linked first trimester weight gain with gestational diabetes. Summarized by Jeannine Stein on February 23, 2010 in the Los Angeles Times, the article details the findings of a study led by Kaiser Permanente Research Scientist Monique Hedderson. The study looked at data from a group of over 1,000 ethnically diverse women, 345 of whom had gestational diabetes between 1996 and 1998. During that time, women who gained more weight than was recommended by the Institute of Medicine had a 50 percent greater risk of developing gestational diabetes.
The link was stronger amongst women who were obese prior to the start of their pregnancies, despite the fact that this group gained the least amount of weight during the first trimester. The study's authors theorized that weight gain early in pregnancy might increase insulin resistance while wearing out the beta cells in the pancreas that create and control insulin.
Risk Factors
There are several factors, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, which can increase a woman's chances for developing gestational diabetes. For reasons that are unknown, race is a major risk factor. Women of Hispanic, Asian, African American, Native American or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for this condition, as are women who have previously given birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds. Women with borderline or "pre-diabetes," a history of gestational diabetes, or a strong family history of diabetes, are also at risk. The Mayo Clinic adds that women older than 25, or who had an unexplained stillbirth, are also at increased risk.
