Table of Contents
Why does gestational diabetes occur during pregnancy?
Gestational diabetes occurs when your body can’t make the extra insulin needed during pregnancy. Insulin, a hormone made in your pancreas, helps your body use glucose for energy and helps control your blood glucose levels.
How does pregnancy affect glucose regulation?
Glucose metabolism during normal pregnancy is characterized by an impairment in insulin sensitivity, an increase in β-cell secretory response and β-cell mass, a moderate increase in blood glucose levels following the ingestion of a meal, and changes in the levels of circulating free fatty acids, triglycerides.
Does pregnancy affect blood sugar?
It’s normal for women’s blood glucose levels to go up a bit during pregnancy because of the extra hormones produced by the placenta. However, sometimes, the blood glucose level goes up and stays high.
How do high maternal blood glucose levels affect the developing fetus?
We observed that maternal early-pregnancy blood glucose levels across the full spectrum are associated with altered fetal growth patterns, characterised by decreased fetal growth rates in mid-pregnancy and increased fetal growth rates from late pregnancy onwards, and an increased risk of delivering a large-for- …
What happens gestational diabetes?
When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. So extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels.
What body systems are affected by gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes happens when your body can’t make enough insulin during pregnancy. Insulin is a hormone made in your pancreas, an organ located behind your stomach. Insulin helps your body use glucose for energy and helps control your blood glucose levels.
Why is blood sugar lower in pregnancy?
Insulin is a hormone that helps to control the body’s glucose levels. During pregnancy, a woman’s body requires more insulin because the placenta produces extra glucose. Along with hormonal changes, this can make it difficult for a woman’s body to regulate glucose.
How does pregnancy affect insulin sensitivity and what effect does this have on the baby?
During pregnancy, an organ called the placenta gives a growing baby nutrients and oxygen. The placenta also makes hormones. In late pregnancy, the hormones estrogen, cortisol, and human placental lactogen can block insulin. When insulin is blocked, it’s called insulin resistance.
What happens if my glucose is high during pregnancy?
High blood sugar can cause problems all over the body. It can damage blood vessels and nerves. It can harm the eyes, kidneys, and heart. In early pregnancy, high blood sugar can lead to birth defects in a growing baby.
What happens when your blood sugar spikes with gestational diabetes?
Blood sugar spikes occur when your blood sugar rises and then falls sharply after you eat. In the short term, they can cause lethargy and hunger. Over time, your body may not be able to lower blood sugar effectively, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
What causes stillbirth with gestational diabetes?
The baby may grow slowly in the uterus due to poor circulation or other conditions, such as high blood pressure or damaged small blood vessels. The exact reason stillbirths happen with diabetes is not known. The risk of stillbirth goes up in women with poor blood glucose control and with blood vessel changes.