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Gestational diabetes

Definition:
Gestational diabetes is a carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity that starts or is first recognized during pregnancy.

Alternative Names:
Glucose intolerance during pregnancy

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Gestational diabetes usually becomes apparent during the 24th to 28th weeks of pregnancy. In many cases, the blood glucose level returns to normal after delivery.

It is recommended that all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes during the 24th and 28th weeks of their pregnancy. The symptoms are usually mild and not life-threatening to the pregnant woman.

However, the increased maternal glucose levels are associated with an increased rate of perinatal complications, including birth trauma, hypoglycemia, and jaundice. Rarely, late intrauterine fetal death occurs.

Maintaining control of blood glucose levels significantly reduces the risk to the offspring. The risk factors for gestational diabetes are advancing maternal age, African or Hispanic ancestry, obesity, a birth weight over 9 pounds in a previous infant, an unexplained death in a previous infant or newborn, a congenital malformation in a previous child, and recurrent infections.



Review Date: 1/27/2002
Reviewed By: Dominic Marchiano, M.D., Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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