Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that occurs for the first time in pregnancy. It can cause health problems in the pregnant person and the fetus, but effective treatment can reduce the risk of complications.
Gestational diabetes is an increasingly common condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that gestational diabetes develops in around
Often, people with gestational diabetes don’t notice any symptoms of the condition. But doctors still consider gestational diabetes serious, as it can affect your health and the health of the fetus. For this reason, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends gestational diabetes screening for all pregnant people.
Although some people have a higher risk of gestational diabetes, it can occur in any pregnancy. The good news is that routine gestational diabetes screening and prompt treatment allow most people to effectively manage their blood sugar levels.
If you have a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, with treatment, you can still have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
During pregnancy, the fetus gets all the nutrition it needs for healthy growth and development directly from your bloodstream.
With gestational diabetes, you have persistently elevated blood sugar (blood glucose). Your high glucose can pass to the fetus’s bloodstream via the placenta. This increases their insulin production, encourages rapid growth, and affects development.
As a result, babies born to birthing parents with gestational diabetes have a
Prematurity
Babies of birthing parents with gestational diabetes are more likely to be delivered early, before 37 weeks gestation.
Macrosomia
Fetuses exposed to persistently high blood sugar tend to grow more in the womb. This unusually large body size is called macrosomia.
Babies larger than 8 pounds 13 ounces may have a higher risk of birth injuries, such as shoulder dystocia. They might also mean you’re more likely to require cesarean delivery.
Respiratory distress syndrome
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a serious newborn breathing problem resulting from lung immaturity. RDS is more common in babies born prematurely and in babies born to birthing parents with gestational diabetes.
Doctors can treat RDS in the intensive care nursery with:
- oxygen
- a medication called
surfactant - a ventilator or continuous positive airway pressure machine
Newborn jaundice
Fetuses affected by gestational diabetes tend to make more red blood cells, which results in more bilirubin. They’re also more likely to have trouble processing bilirubin in the liver.
Excess bilirubin in the bloodstream can turn the skin and eyes a yellowish color. This is a condition called newborn jaundice.
Rarely, when bilirubin gets extremely high, it can damage the brain and spinal cord. But doctors can treat newborn jaundice with phototherapy, when needed, to help prevent complications.
Neonatal hypoglycemia
Once the baby is born, they’re no longer exposed to your elevated blood sugar. But for a short time, their body continues producing excess insulin. This can cause temporary low blood sugar, called neonatal hypoglycemia, in newborns affected by gestational diabetes.
In serious cases, this can cause seizures. But doctors can prevent problems by:
- checking the baby’s blood sugar shortly after birth
- encouraging prompt feeding
- providing an oral sugar gel or intravenous fluids, as needed
Some babies born to birthing parents with gestational diabetes may also have other electrolyte irregularities, such as low blood calcium.
Low Apgar score (1 minute)
The Apgar score measures a newborn’s condition immediately after delivery. Doctors assess the following:
- A: activity and muscle tone
- P: pulse and heart rate
- G: grimace (response to stimulation, such as suctioning the baby’s nose)
- A: appearance (color)
- R: respiration/breathing
The first score, which doctors take when the baby is 1 minute old, may be lower in those affected by gestational diabetes.
Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit
Some babies need care in the neonatal intensive care unit to help manage the complications listed above.
For babies affected by gestational diabetes, a doctor will closely monitor them during their prenatal and newborn periods. They’ll also work to treat any associated complications.
After the newborn period, there’s some evidence to suggest that infants born to birthing parents with gestational diabetes may be at higher risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes as they get older. The baby’s pediatrician can help guide healthy preventive care.
Gestational diabetes can also affect the long-term health and future pregnancies of the birthing parent. In people who’ve had gestational diabetes before, the condition reoccurs in about
If you’ve had a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, you also have an approximately
Will my baby be OK if I have gestational diabetes?
Yes, you and your doctor will work together to ensure the healthiest possible pregnancy and delivery.
Effective treatment for gestational diabetes is available. Once you have a diagnosis, you’ll monitor your blood sugar levels closely every day. Some people will respond to dietary changes and an exercise regimen. Others may require oral diabetes medications or insulin injections to control their blood sugar.
Regardless,
Can I still have a healthy pregnancy with gestational diabetes?
Yes. If you have a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, you’ve already completed the most important first step of screening.
Now, you’ll work together with your doctor to help manage your blood sugar levels throughout your pregnancy. Your doctor will closely monitor your health, along with the fetus’s health and growth. Treating gestational diabetes may reduce your chances of pregnancy complications, like preterm or cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, and blood pressure problems.
Do babies move more with gestational diabetes?
Not necessarily. One recent study found that fetuses whose birthing parents had increased blood sugar moved more at 28 to 33 weeks gestation but not thereafter.
However, the foods you eat affect your blood sugar level, and some pregnant people may notice that this affects fetal movement.
Gestational diabetes, or high blood sugar in pregnancy, is an increasingly common condition.
Without treatment, persistently high blood sugar can lead to serious health risks for the birthing parent and the fetus. But with prompt diagnosis and management, gestational diabetes is very treatable.
The best thing you can do for your health and the health of the fetus is to see your doctor for recommended prenatal care. This will generally include gestational diabetes screening at 24 to 28 weeks gestation.
If you have a diagnosis of gestational diabetes, your doctor will work with you to help manage your blood sugar levels. With treatment, you can reduce any risk and have the healthiest possible pregnancy and delivery.