Ultrasound to estimate weight
Testing for gestational diabetes
About 90% of women who have diabetes during their pregnancy have 'gestational diabetes'. This means that the pregnancy has caused the diabetes condition. Gestational diabetes normally develops around 20 to 24 weeks of the pregnancy. The woman's insulin production then usually returns to normal, once the placenta is delivered after the birth (with blood sugar levels often returning to normal within 24 hours of the baby being born). Women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have the condition again with a subsequent pregnancy, and are at an increased risk of developing diabetes later in their life.
Babies of diabetic women are not born with diabetes. They may be at a slightly increased risk of developing diabetes later in their life, due to genetic inheritance.
Most women with gestational diabetes can manage their condition with diet modification. A few women will require insulin, if their diet alone does not keep the blood sugar levels within normal levels. The main health risk for women with uncontrolled gestational diabetes is producing an abnormally large baby (over 4.5 kg or about 10lb). This is called 'fetal macrosomia' or 'large for gestational age' (LGA).
Having a larger than normal baby can increase the chances of:
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The woman needing induction of her labour, forceps or a Caesarean. |
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Injury to the baby due to shoulder dystocia at birth. |
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The baby having a low blood sugar (or 'hypoglycaemia') soon after the birth, and requiring care in the intensive care nursery. |
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The baby developing breathing problems, because their lungs take longer to mature. |
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