Gestational diabetes, as its name suggests, is a form of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It usually appears in the last trimester of pregnancy, and disappears shortly after birth, although it frequently recurs in later pregnancies and may indicate an increased risk of type 2 diabetes later in life.
Like type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance – that is, your body is creating enough insulin to keep you healthy, and it is doing its job of transporting glucose around your body, but cells are not responding to the insulin signal. In gestational diabetes, insulin resistance is the result of a rise in the level of the hormones estradiol, cortisol, and human placental lactogen (HPL). Levels of these hormones rise during pregnancy, and their job is to make sure the fetus gets enough glucose to continue growing and developing. They do this by making the mother’s cells more resistant to insulin so more glucose gets to the fetus.
The mother’s body compensates for this by creating more insulin, and by using stores of fat to create energy for her own consumption. In about 5% of pregnancies, however, the mother’s body can’t create enough insulin to keep up with the rising hormone levels, and gestational diabetes is the result.
Gestational diabetes is usually treated quite aggressively, with diet and exercise plans, but also frequently with insulin injections. Specialist obstetric endocrinologists, diabetes educators and nutritionists will work with expectant mothers to keep blood sugar as close to normal as possible. This is because gestational diabetes poses health risks to both mother and baby, which can be greatly reduced with good prenatal care.
At present, this Center is not conducting research into Gestational Diabetes.
Where can I find out more about Gestational Diabetes?
Australia Diabetes In Pregnancy Society - this is a scientific society dedicated to advancing clinical and scientific knowledge of diabetes in pregnancy. It is also involved in the development of health policy regarding diabetes in pregnancy at the National and State levels. A good starting point for finding out about current research and best practice in your area.
Diabetes Australia (Victoria) - this site will tell you everything you need to know about both Gestational Diabetes, and pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy. It also contains contains clinical and research news and recipes, and is the home of one of the major Australian diabetes support groups.
The International Diabetes Institute - this site contains a wealth of information about gestational diabetes, including current research, living with diabetes, diet and clinical information. Check out their Gestational Diabetes page.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) Gestational Diabetes Resource Guide - this page contains a lot of useful information on gestational diabetes, how it is treated and why it needs to be treated carefully. Check out the rest of this site, as it has great information on living with diabetes, with information on diet, and even recipes (although beware - because this is a USA website, all recipes are measured in pounds and ounces - have your metric converter ready!).
