Gestational diabetes is a life altering health complication that adversely affects the well being of an expectant mother as well as her unborn child. If you are concerned about gestational diabetes during your pregnancy, it is important to become familiar with the gestational diabetes causes that may be specific to your pregnancy health.
In pregnancy, a unique form of diabetes can develop which can place an expectant mother into high risk for giving birth prematurely. Gestational diabetes, so named because of the occurrence in pregnancy, is typically screened early in pregnancy in an effort to avoid development in a later trimester. For some women, however, even the best testing can not detect early, or avoid, the manifestation of gestational diabetes.
Causes of gestational diabetes vary from woman to woman but, in most cases, the pre-disposition for diabetes outside of pregnancy can lead to gestational diabetes. If, while examining your family history you find that Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes is quite common, this could place you at a higher risk for gestational diabetes, even if you follow the exercise and healthy eating for pregnant women.
In addition to familial pre-disposition, some pregnant women are subjected to risks for gestational diabetes based upon their health prior to becoming pregnant. If you suffered from polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, or if you suffered from a thyroid disorder, these can also place you and your baby at a great risk for gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
What may cause gestational diabetes to develop in one expectant mom may have absolutely nothing to do with the development in another woman. So, during your pregnancy, always discuss the gestational diabetes causes that you should be concerned about and try your best to avoid basing your concerns and health on the input from other expectant moms. In doing so, you’ll have a far healthier pregnancy and reduce your risk for gestational diabetes with your physician’s guidance.
Sources: Managing Your Gestational Diabetes, by Lois Javonovic-Peterson