Gestational diabetes can develop during a woman’s pregnancy and typically occurs during the second half of the term. While it is relatively common, it can affect the pregnancy and the unborn child’s health if it is not appropriately monitored.
How does gestational diabetes occur?
While heightened blood sugar levels is normal during pregnancy, significantly high levels should be watched. The specific cause of gestational diabetes is unknown, but there are risk factors associated with the condition, including:
- Mother is over the age of 25.
- Mother has a personal or family history of prediabetes or diabetes.
- Mother is significantly overweight and has a BMI of 30 or higher.
- Mother is not white.
What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?
Most women with gestational diabetes will experience no signs or symptoms. Pregnant women should visit their doctor regularly, where tests and examinations might reveal the condition. If a woman does indeed have gestational diabetes, her doctor will show her ways to manage blood sugar levels and may refer her to an endocrinologist or dietitian. She will also want to pay visits to her doctor more frequently to ensure that she and her baby are in good health.
Gestational diabetes can put a baby at risk for:
- low blood sugar
- type 2 diabetes later in life
- excessive birth weight, which can lead to labor and delivery complications
- preterm birth
- respiratory distress syndrome (difficulty breathing)
Gestational diabetes can put a mother at risk for high blood pressure and preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that can threaten the lives of both mother and baby. The mother may also be at a greater risk for diabetes in the future.
How can a pregnant woman manage her diabetes?
Gestational diabetes cannot be treated, but it can be managed. A dietitian may recommend certain diet restrictions or create personalized meal plans. Physical activity and exercise should continue through pregnancy. Depending on the severity of a woman’s gestational diabetes, she may require daily insulin injections and/or blood glucose testing. Some medications may also be helpful. Seeing the a doctor regularly to monitor the baby’s and mother’s health is important.
How is gestational diabetes associated with birth injury?
When a physician fails to diagnose or appropriately treat a woman for gestational diabetes, it can put the mother and baby at risk for a variety of conditions or long-term health problems. In addition, a baby who weighs more than nine pounds may require delivery by C-section or the use of birthing instruments, which present the potential for the baby to be injured during delivery.
If your child was harmed due to untreated or inadequately treated gestational diabetes, or was harmed during delivery, call Thurswell Law. We help victims of birth injuries and their families secure monetary compensation to minimize financial suffering. We offer free consultations and do not charge a fee unless our clients collect. Schedule your initial consultation with us today by calling toll-free at (248) 354-2222.
