Gestational Diabetes

Pregnant women with high glucose levels (pre-diabetes) are considered to have gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes has affected less than 5% of all expecting women.

There is no precise cause of gestational diabetes but some ideas have been brought up. Hormones produced by the placenta are essential for the growth of the baby however it has been determined that these hormones have also blocked insulin action in the mother's body. This is typically known as insulin resistance. Expecting mothers may need over twice as much insulin as normal.

This type of diabetes begins when the body doesn't make and use all of the insulin required for pregnancy. Since there is a limited amount of insulin, glucose is unable to be converted to energy by cells.

Rougly 140,000 cases of gestational diabetes are reported each year in the United States.