About 4% of all pregnant women may develop gestational diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Women who do not suffer from diabetes may develop the condition during their pregnancy. The actual cause of gestational diabetes development in pregnant women remains to be unclear but there are some indications that may establish possible causes for this condition and treatments are very plausible for managing diabetes during pregnancy.

What Cause Gestational Diabetes

One of the possible causes for the development of gestational diabetes is the occurrence of insulin resistance from the body of a pregnant woman. The placenta that keeps and protects the baby inside the mother’s womb may block the formation of insulin from the mother’s body with the resulting condition of diabetes. The body needs energy to carry out its daily functioning. Glucose is a primary source of energy for the body, which needs insulin to help release the glucose from the blood to convert it into energy. Hyperglycemia also occurs whenever there is an excessive build up of glucose from the blood. With insufficient insulin in the body, the blood sugar increases resulting to a diabetic condition.

The implication of untreated gestational diabetes will result to imposing higher load on the pancreas to work double in producing sufficient insulin that a pregnant body needs. Moreover, glucose can cross the placenta that could trigger the baby’s pancreas to produce insulin to rid of the excessive glucose present. This produces the baby with the extra glucose in the body that is stored as fats. The risk of getting a fat baby and difficulty in breathing in newborns during delivery further increases the risk and complications rooted from gestational diabetes.

Take the Gestational Diabetic Test

There are effective diagnostic procedures to help detect gestational diabetes and provide for its immediate management. This includes taking the oral glucose tolerance test or the fasting blood glucose test. The test will indicate whether one has a high level of glucose in the blood.

Treatment for Gestational Diabetes

Once a physician confirms gestational diabetes, the most common treatment option to consider is establishing a dietary meal plan designed to lower the glucose level in the body. This would mean avoiding sweets and indicating the proper amount of foods to eat with specific food choices and schedule to eat meals. Common foods that can help reduce diabetes are foods high in fiber such as fruits and vegetables, cereals, and whole grain crackers.

Physicians usually advice to carry out physical activities that will help reduce weight as a natural form of management for gestational diabetes. Walking and swimming are good exercises for pregnant women. In some pregnant women who need to meet their target blood glucose level, diet plans and exercise may not be sufficient. Thus, they will likely require to take insulin as an added form of treatment.

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