2023-05-24 03:41:54
Some of the things women should know regarding gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes can affect any woman at any stage of pregnancy, and many women may not realize that even if they have low risk factors for type 1 or type 2 diabetes, they are still at risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, the Middle East and North Africa region has the second highest prevalence of gestational diabetes in the world.
As it is considered Pregnancy diabetes A common condition among each of the communities, and the degree of health awareness is still very low, as a result of the daily detection of the number of infections with this disease in hospitals and medical centers.
In this sense, there are five things that every woman should know regarding this disease, namely:
1) Understanding the disease and its symptoms
Women with gestational diabetes are pregnant women who have not had diabetes before and whose blood glucose (sugar) level is high during pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes often does not cause symptoms that the mother can notice, while other types of diabetes (such as type 1 and type 2 diabetes) may cause symptoms such as increased thirst. It is normal for levels Sugar In a woman’s blood that rises slightly during pregnancy due to the hormones produced by the placenta.
The high blood sugar level in women with gestational diabetes is due to hormones released by the placenta during pregnancy. The placenta secretes a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin. It is mainly responsible for raising the level of sugar in the mother’s blood, and reduces the body’s susceptibility to insulin, in other words, it makes the body unable to make optimal use of insulin properly, and in this case the blood sugar level rises.
Human placental lactation stimulating hormone raises the blood sugar level so that the baby gets enough nutrients through excess blood sugar. Gestational diabetes develops when the body is unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin during pregnancy.
2) Who are at risk of infection?
The risk of developing gestational diabetes increases for women who are overweight (their body mass index is higher than 25), are over the age of 25, are of certain ethnic origins such as Asians, have a family history of diabetes, or have had diabetes. Pregnancy before, or they gave birth to a stillborn fetus, or they gave birth in a previous pregnancy to a large baby (more than 4 kg), or they have a medical history indicating polycystic ovaries, or they suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease.
3) The effect on the fetus
Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, following the baby’s body is formed, but while the baby is busy growing. Gestational diabetes does not cause any birth defects that may occur in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy.
As for losing control of blood glucose levels (in cases that remain very high for a long time), it can cause complications for the child.
Uncontrolled gestational diabetes can also affect the baby at birth and following birth.
The child may become very large, “gigantic”, and it is likely that these children will be born by caesarean section, while vaginal delivery of a large child may lead to complications such as scapular dystocia with the possibility of injury to the brachial plexus.
Children whose mothers had gestational diabetes are more likely to have developmental problems, such as learning language and developing motor skills, and are at greater risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life.
Therefore, controlling blood sugar levels protects the child from the aforementioned developmental problems, given the high incidence of gestational diabetes in this part of the world.
4) How to control gestational diabetes
The goal of treatment for gestational diabetes is to keep blood sugar levels equal to those of pregnant women who do not have gestational diabetes. Treatment includes special diets and scheduled physical activity.
Treatment may also include daily blood sugar checks, oral medications such as metformin, and insulin injections.
The dietitian can help develop a balanced nutritional plan aimed at controlling the mother’s blood sugar level and keeping it in healthy normal ranges.
Exercise can lower blood sugar levels, reduce insulin resistance, control pregnancy weight, maintain heart health, make mothers sleep more restful, not to mention improve their mood. Persistence in exercises every day, such as walking or swimming for 30 minutes, is beneficial for the mother.
5) What happens following childbirth?
Gestational diabetes usually resolves following pregnancy because the placenta was removed, which was producing excess hormones that cause insulin resistance. However, a small number of women may develop type 1 or type 2 diabetes following pregnancy. These women will need to continue treatment for their diabetes following pregnancy, where, regarding six weeks following giving birth, an oral glucose test is given to see if it has returned. back to normal once more.
Women who had gestational diabetes during their first pregnancy had a 35-50% chance of developing diabetes in their next pregnancy. Therefore, it is preferable, before planning a pregnancy once more, for women to work on adjusting the necessary daily lifestyles that need change.
Also, future women should be screened for diabetes. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 60% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. However, by maintaining an ideal body weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly, women can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
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