@drjessicaknurick: Gestational diabetes is the most common pregnancy complication, affecting 5-11.8% of women in the US and Canada (PMID: 38491497). The reason that it’s recommended that everyone be screened and tested for gestational diabetes is because it can affect anyone, and it is very important to control blood sugar levels during pregnancy to avoid a number of adverse outcomes. When someone who is pregnant has elevated blood sugar levels, more sugar crosses the placenta, which gives the baby high blood sugar levels and causes the fetal pancreas to produce more insulin. And that insulin in the fetus acts as a growth factor, which leads the baby to store more fat and grow more rapidly. This rapid growth is what can lead to macrosomia or having a large baby. Which can increase risk of injury to mom and baby, including increased risk of c-section and risk of shoulder dystocia. Uncontrolled gestational diabetes is also linked to increased risk of preeclampsia, premature birth, newborn intensive care stays, newborn jaundice, and newborn hypoglycemia. There are also long-term consequences observed in moms and babies. For moms, a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke later in life - although evidence seems to suggest that lifestyle plays a big role here and this can be avoided with lifestyle modification. And for baby, a higher likelihood of developing excess body weight and type 2 diabetes as an adult. The good news is that controlled gestational diabetes after diagnosis, generally results in positive outcomes and avoids many of these consequences, which is why testing and catching it early is so important. #gestationaldiabetes #gestationaldiabetestest #glucosetest #creatorsearchinsights

Dr. Jess (PhD, RDN)

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Tuesday 03 September 2024 22:09:30 GMT