Throughout the month of November, which is American Diabetes Month, Valley-Wide Health Systems will be publishing regular articles and videos from our healthcare providers that focus on topics relating to diabetes. In the article below, Dr. Susan Kasza, a Family Medicine Physician and Obstetrician, discusses gestational diabetes, risk factors, and the importance of seeing your doctor regularly throughout pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes, also called diabetes during pregnancy, is a fairly common condition that occurs in pregnant women. Not to be confused with overt diabetes mellitus, which is diagnosed either prior to pregnancy or in the first half of pregnancy, gestational diabetes occurs in the second half of a woman’s pregnancy.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for gestational diabetes include the following:
- family history of diabetes
- obesity
- older maternal age
- previous birth of a large infant
- personal history of gestational diabetes
Treatment
It is very important to keep regular appointments with your medical provider throughout the pregnancy, as nearly all women are tested at 24-48 weeks of pregnancy. Treatment for gestational diabetes includes tight control of blood sugar with a combination of diet and medication. Additionally, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes often requires extra monitoring of the baby prior to delivery and may require an early delivery.
Valley-Wide Health Systems is committed to providing excellent care throughout the entirety of your pregnancy. To learn more about diabetes, attend our upcoming Diabetes Night or view the video below.