Is Gestational Diabetes A Big Deal And How Can It Hurt My Baby?

Generally, diabetes is one of the most major health concerns in Malaysia. However, for pregnant mummies, you may have heard of gestational diabetes. But, is it dangerous and harmful for my baby? First of all, let’s get to know about Gestational Diabetes and how it relates to pregnant mothers. It is a type of diabetes that some women can get during their pregnancy. This is a severe condition affecting pregnant women who were previously healthy, but who during pregnancy were surprisingly found to have increased levels of blood glucose. It has another name which is also called Gestational Diabetes Mellitus or in short just GDM. How Does It Start? Your body breaks down sugar and starches from food that you eat into glucose to be used for energy throughout the day. A hormone called insulin that helps your body maintain the right amount of glucose in your blood is created by your pancreas. Do you know that your body doesn’t make enough insulin when you have diabetes? Hence, your body will be left with too much sugar inside it. This can lead to severe health issues such as heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. Is It Treatable? Most pregnant mummies get tested for GDM at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The good news is that GDM usually can be managed or treated during pregnancy but if it is not treated, it can cause health problems for you and your baby. After you have your baby, it usually goes away. Yet, you are at a greater risk of developing diabetes later in life if you have GDM. Who May Get Gestational Diabetes? Based on experts, often, overweight before pregnancy plays a part. Different hormones usually function to keep the blood sugar levels under control. Yet, hormone levels change during pregnancy making it harder for your body to effectively process blood sugar. This causes the sugar in your blood to increase. ARE YOU AT RISK? Most of the times, women with GDM have no hints or symptoms, however, you might be at risk to get it which includes the following: Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Lack of physical exercise. Excessive weight in body/obesity. Have a history of prediabetes or gestational diabetes. Previously gave birth to a baby that is weighing more than 4.1 kilograms. Ovarian polycystic syndrome. Women of races which are Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian American are more prone to developing gestational diabetes. A family member that has diabetes. Will Gestational Diabetes Cause Issues During Your Delivery? Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Yes, if it is not handled or treated. For a Caesarean section, GDM alone is not an indicator. However, a Caesarean section is necessary if the baby is too large for a normal vaginal delivery, or if the baby can not be delivered naturally. There is also a risk of trauma during delivery especially bone fractures and nerve injuries in the shoulder area. As a mother, you probably want to know what is the deal with this GDM related to your afterbirth baby, when all you want is for your baby to be healthy right? Here are some complications that might affect your precious little infant: Big Baby Excessive weight at birth. Higher blood sugar than normal in mothers may cause their babies to grow too big. Quite big babies are more likely to get squished in the birth canal, have birth complications or require a C-section birth if they weigh 4kilograms or more. Early Delivery (Preterm) High blood sugar can raise the risk of early labour and childbirth for women before the due date. Or as the baby is large, early birth may be recommended. Severe Problems With Breathing Babies who are born early to mothers with GDM are more likely to experience respiratory distress syndrome. Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes When The Baby Grows Up These babies with mothers that are experiencing GDM are at greater risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes. Stillbirth Yes, if GDM is left untreated, it may lead to the baby's death before or shortly after birth. Now we can see that Gestational Diabetes is a crucial condition for pregnant mothers and how it will affect them. But how can we cope with this problem? The good news is that even though GDM can be a real and deadly condition, there are ways to prevent it. But remember, there is no guarantee even with preventions when it comes to this gestational diabetes. The more you keep your lifestyle healthy, the better. If you have had or at risk of gestational diabetes, these healthy options may lessen the risks of getting gestational diabetes later in the future. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Consume healthy and balanced meals. Exercise daily. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Begin pregnancy at a healthy weight. Do not gain weight more than suggested by a doctor. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock Lastly, it is crucial for you to always be aware of your diet and sugar intake. To be more assured, see your doctor and keep your doctor’s appointment! This is really important because the doctor will detect any complications for both the mother and the baby at an early stage and detect early before the condition worsens.

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