Only about 4% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes and there are certain factors that will increase the risk of becoming part of this group. But at the same time, many women to whom none of the risk factors apply still develop gestational diabetes. Keeping the risk in check though, will still diminish your chances of developing it.
Risk Factors:
- Being overweight before becoming pregnant (20% or more above ideal body weight).
- Family history of diabetes
- Being Hispanic, black, Native American, or Asian (certain ethnic groups are at higher risk of developing diabetes, period).
- Having given birth to a baby heavier than 9 pounds
- Having given birth to a stillborn baby.
- Having experienced gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy.
- Having too much amniotic fluid.
- Showing glucose in your urine.
- Having glucose levels that are high, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Complications from Gestational Diabetes
The fetus can develop birth defects if a woman develops diabetes early on in the pregnancy. The birth defects generally involve the major organs such as the heart, lungs and brain. There is also an increased risk for miscarriage when the gestational diabetes develops early on. When the onset of diabetes is later on in the pregnancy, the baby risks becoming too large which can cause complications for the delivery. If the baby is very large, and it is still delivered through the birth canal, there is a risk of trauma to the shoulders of the child.
Because the fetus was connected to the mother’s blood supply it will experience very low glucose levels in the blood after birth. It is no longer in contact with the mother, so it does not receive the high blood glucose anymore, but it does still have a high blood concentration of insulin.
These issues do not have to be a problem, or even occur. You can easily deliver a healthy baby if you have gestational diabetes, as long as you are diagnosed early and receive the proper treatment.