Gestational Diabetes appears in about 2-5% of pregnant women in the 5th or 6 th month of pregnancy (between the 24th and 28th weeks). Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a temporary condition, which occurs due to the high blood glucose levels during the last stage of pregnancy. When hormones produced by the placenta obstruct the action of insulin, chances of GDM develop.

If not treated in the initial stages, it may cause problems with the pregnancy, including macrosomia (high birth weight) of the child. Also, babies born to women with diabetes are four times more likely to die at birth than those born to mothers without diabetes. It requires careful medical supervision during pregnancy and delivery. The hyperglycemia resolves in most women after delivery but places them at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus later in life. This happens in 20-50% of these women.

Diabetes screening for gestational diabetes is recommended in pregnant women who are:

• 25 years of age or older
• Obese (defined as more than 120 percent above the desirable body weight)
• With a family history of diabetes mellitus
• And those who belong high-risk ethnic group

Complications of Gestational Diabetes

• Hypertension
• Preeclampsia (an abnormal state of pregnancy characterized by hypertension and fluid retention and albuminuria)
• Infections in and around urinary tract.

Precautions and Treatment

GDM can be treated through planned and healthy eating habits along with appropriate physical activity to keep weight under control. In some cases, a woman can be asked to inject insulin. Experts feel that breastfeeding is the best way to reduce the risk for subsequent diabetes in the baby.