According to statistics, 1 out of 7 pregnant women experience gestational diabetes. To detect the disease, doctors perform a method of testing for gestational diabetes to get accurate conclusions. However, from before that, pregnant mothers had symptoms of gestational diabetes but did not realize. The following article will help you get more useful information about gestational diabetes.
Manifestations of gestational diabetes
Symptoms of gestational diabetes usually do not show obvious symptoms, but pregnant mothers will experience some symptoms like those with diabetes:
Feeling thirsty often
Urinating a lot
Urine has ants
The genital area is yeast, itching, discomfort ...
Difficult to heal scratches, wounds
Unexplained weight loss
The body feels tired, lacks energy and exhausted
The ideal time to test for gestational diabetes as recommended by the Ministry of Health
Pregnant mothers should do tests to diagnose gestational diabetes to know their exact status. For people who did not have this condition before, the time to perform the first diagnostic test for gestational diabetes is between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.
What does a gestational diabetes test include?
A gestational diabetes test can be done with one of two methods:
One-step strategy:
Perform the oral glucose tolerance test: oral 75g (75-g OGTT): measure the fasting plasma glucose and at 1 hour, 2 hours after oral administration, at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. for women who have not had a prior diagnosis of diabetes.
An oral glucose tolerance test should be done in the morning after an overnight fast for at least 8 hours. Diagnose gestational diabetes when any of the following blood glucose values:
Fasting ≥ 92 mg / dL (5.1 mmol / L)
At 1 hour ≥ 180 mg / dL (10.0 mmol / L)
At 2 hours ≥ 153 mg / dL (8.5 mmol / L)
Two-step strategy (two-step strategy):
Step 1: Take 50g glucose or 50 gram glucose (glucose loading test: GLT): Take 50 grams of glucose (before fasting), measure plasma glucose at 1 hour, at week 24. 28 of pregnancy for women who had not been diagnosed with diabetes before.
If the plasma glucose level measured 1 hour after oral administration is 130 mg / dL, 135 mg / dL, or 140 mg / dL (7.2 mmol / L, 7.5 mmol / L, 7.8 mmol / L) continued with an oral glucose tolerance solution of 100g.
Step 2: Perform the 100g glucose tolerance test (100-g OGTT): The test must be done when the patient is hungry: The patient is fasting, drink 100 grams of glucose mixed in 250-300 ml of water, measure fasting blood glucose and at 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, after taking glucose.
Diagnosis of gestational diabetes when at least 2 out of 4 plasma glucose level values equal or exceed the following thresholds:
Table: Diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes for 2-step method.
Carpenter / Coustan diagnostic criteria Diagnostic criteria according to National Diabetes Data Group
Fasting 95 mg / dL (5.3 mmol / L) 105 mg / dL (5.8 mmol / L)
180 mg / dL (10.0 mmol / L) 190 mg / dL (10.6 mmol / L) at 1 hour
At 2 hours 155 mg / dL (8.6 mmol / L) 165 mg / dL (9.2 mmol / L)
At 3 hours 140 mg / dL (7.8 mmol / L) 145 mg / dL (8.0 mmol / L)
Risk of diabetes during pregnancy
Body index (BMI) above 30: overweight, obesity.
Being over 25 years old, especially 35 years old and older is a high risk factor for gestational diabetes.
Pregnant mother has polycystic ovary syndrome.
Personal history of gestational diabetes in the previous pregnancy.
Family history of someone with diabetes, especially first generation diabetes.
Previously gave birth to a baby weighing over 4.1 kg or an unexplained stillbirth, premature birth, fetal malformations.
Race: Asians are the race at high risk of gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is dangerous for both mother and baby
When a mother has gestational diabetes, insufficient insulin production leads to a spike in blood sugar. This will cause many dangerous complications for both mother and fetus from the time of pregnancy to the birth of the baby.
Influence on the mother
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes have a higher risk of complications during pregnancy than normal women. The most common complications are:
Hypertension
Hypertension in pregnancy can cause many complications: preeclampsia , eclampsia, cerebrovascular accident, liver failure, kidney failure, intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth ...
Urinary tract infections
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes who have poor control of plasma glucose (blood sugar) are at risk of urinary (urinary) infections. If not treated, it will easily lead to pyelonephritis (kidney infection), which can cause many other complications such as ketoacidosis, premature birth, and amniotic fluid infection.
Poly amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid usually begins between 26 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. Amniotic fluid also increases the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women.
Preterm birth
Pregnant women with gestational diabetes increase the risk of preterm birth. The causes of preterm delivery are delayed blood glucose control, urinary infection, etc.
Miscarriage and stillbirth
Women with diabetes during pregnancy are at increased risk of spontaneous miscarriage.
Long-term effects on the health of the mother
Through many studies, women with a history of gestational diabetes very easily progress to type 2 diabetes in the future. In addition, they will be at risk for diabetes in the next pregnancies. They are also susceptible to obesity, excess weight gain after giving birth without proper diet and exercise.
Effects on the fetus
Gestational diabetes affects the development of the fetus mainly in the first and last three months of pregnancy.
The first 3 months of pregnancy
During the first 3 months, the fetus may not develop, spontaneously miscarriage, birth defects. These changes usually happen between 6 and 7 weeks of pregnancy.
Last 3 months of pregnancy
In the last 3 months of pregnancy, the fetus may experience increased insulin secretion, overgrowth, and fetal enlargement.
After birth
After birth, the baby is susceptible to hypoglycemia and other metabolic problems. This percentage is about 15% - 25% of cases. Infants are also susceptible to severe respiratory distress syndrome (about 10% of cases). The rate of red blood cells of the baby also increased due to the disease during pregnancy. In addition, babies are prone to neonatal jaundice, which occurs in about 25% of cases.
The most dangerous is that babies are more likely to die after birth than other babies.
Long-term effects on children
Increasing the frequency of obese children and psychomotor disorders. Children are eight times more likely to develop this disease by the time they are 19 to 27 years old.
Diet when having gestational diabetes
Breakfast can be whole grain, a boiled egg and a carton of yogurt.
Drink 6 ~ 8 glasses of water a day.
Eat less starch, sugar.
Non-starchy vegetables can be eaten freely. It can be lettuce, cruciferous vegetables, celery, broccoli, carrots ...
Protein-rich foods such as pork, chicken, beef .., eggs, beans and dairy products.
Eat foods high in fiber: whole grains, fruits, green vegetables, okra ...
Eat plant-based fats. For example: olive oil, sunflower oil, nuts ...
Limit foods high in simple carbohydrates. For example, bread, cake, white rice, sticky rice, soft drink, candy ...
Avoid eating foods high in saturated fats such as: sausages, bacon, etc.
Diabetes is something that no pregnant mother wants to have during pregnancy. Women need to prepare for a healthy lifestyle to prevent this disease. How to recognize early symptoms of gestational diabetes is also very important. At the same time, pregnant mothers should have regular pregnancy check-ups to control gestational diabetes and its complications.
See more:
What fruits should a mother with diabetes eat to be safe for mother and fetus?
Gestational diabetes - Pregnant mothers need "Understand and Do it Now!"
Is gestational diabetes dangerous for pregnant women and fetuses?