Gestational diabetes: how is it diagnosed and treated?

Gestational diabetes is a specific type of diabetes that only develops during pregnancy. Between 2 and 10% of pregnant women get it. The exact cause is unknown, but hormones are produced during pregnancy that can block the work of insulin, thus raising blood glucose levels.

There are certain factors that can increase your risk of having it:

• Family history.
• Being over 35 years of age.
• Smoking.
• Having had a previous pregnancy in which you’ve had diabetes.
• Giving birth to very large or very heavy babies on previous occasions.
• Having lost a pregnancy previously.
• To find out whether you have gestational diabetes you’ll have the glucose test (O’Sullivan test) between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. If the value exceeds the limits, the test will be repeated three weeks later.

What is the treatment?

• Following a very strict diet recommended by your doctor.
• Doing exercise after each meal and keeping active.
• You’ll need to have 5 meals a day, without eating too much and following your doctor’s instructions.
• If necessary, your doctor will tell you what pharmacological treatment you should take.
• You’ll have to measure your glucose levels several times a day.

Can it affect the baby?

Gestational diabetes usually affects the mother at the end of pregnancy, and although it’s not a cause of malformations, if not adequately controlled it can affect the baby in the following ways:

• The baby may be larger and heavier than normal.
• The baby’s large size can complicate delivery, and if born vaginally can cause serious damage to the baby’s shoulders.
• Greater risk of obesity after birth and in early infancy.
• Hypoglycaemia after birth.
• Hypocalcaemia (low blood calcium).

Our advice is to follow your doctor’s instructions and have the relevant tests to make sure everything is under control.