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When you think of diabetes, you probably think of a
lifetime of regular insulin shots and/or careful diet
planning. But there is another kind that can develop in
non-diabetic women--gestational diabetes. It affects between
three to five percent of pregnant women. While it generally
disappears after delivery, it may be a harbinger of
adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes.
Gestational diabetes develops when the body's ability to
use glucose (blood sugar) is impaired and the glucose
accumulates in the blood. It often occurs without noticeable
symptoms.
"Women with gestational diabetes can generally control
blood sugar levels with diet, but when diet does not work,
insulin may be required," says Jerome Yankowitz, M.D.,
director, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Fetal
Diagnosis and Treatment Unit, UI Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Are you at risk of having diabetes during a
pregnancy?
- Have you had high blood sugar levels in previous
pregnancies?
- Have you had a baby who weighed more than nine pounds
at birth?
- Are you overweight?
- Do you have a close relative with diabetes?
- Do you have frequent yeast infections?
Gestational diabetes may:
- Cause birth defects
- Require a cesarean section birth because of the size
of the baby
- Cause hypertension and convulsions
- Cause premature delivery or stillbirths
For more information about gestational diabetes, call UI
Health Access, 319-384-8442, ext. 104, or 800-777-8442, ext.
104.
For more information:
Listed above is a Web site that offers additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI
Health Access.
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