Latinas, because of a series of genetic factors have three times the incidence of gestational diabetes than other women in the United States. This illness can affect pregnancy if left untreated.

What is gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy. Just as with other types of diabetes, the body does not secrete enough insulin, or the insulin does not act normally. The difference is that the causes of this type of diabetes are pregnancy hormones and that the sugar that is in the blood then reaches the baby.

When there is diabetes present, the food we eat cannot reach the cells that need them. In the digestion process, what we eat turns into glucose or sugar, amongst other things. That is the fuel that cells use to function. In order to be able to “fuel up” with sugar or glucose, they need a key to open the tank, and that key would be insulin. When diabetes is present, there is not enough insulin or it doesn’t act as it should. The result is that the sugar that did not reach the cells circulates around the blood.  

The effect of gestational diabetes on the baby

All the sugar that is in the blood crosses the placenta and reaches the baby. When the baby receives such a large amount of food, the baby starts to gain weight. A baby that is too big can have problems during delivery, along with other complications such as:

• Low sugar levels: this is known as hypoglycemia. What happens is that during pregnancy, the baby has had to produce a lot of insulin in order to be able to use all the sugar that she was receiving from the mother. The levels of insulin production are very high. When the baby is born, all that insulin is still acting, but as the baby is “disconnected” from the mom, she is not receiving such a large amount of sugar. Insulin then acts on what is left, and it could cause your blood sugar level to go down rapidly. The baby will slowly adjust the amount of insulin she secretes, in accordance with the food intake. However, at first the blood sugar drop could be very abrupt and the baby could faint and need glucose in order to adjust slowly.  

• Paralysis of the arm. As these babies are larger than normal, their passing through the birth canal could be difficult.  Some babies literally get “stuck”. This is dangerous for two reasons. On the one hand, they can press against the umbilical cord and limit the amount of oxygen they receive and on the other; they could suffer damages on the nerves that give movement to the arm, since it gets stuck against the mother’s pubic bone.   

• Risk of being overweight. Studies show that children of diabetic mothers that didn’t control their diabetes during pregnancy have a greater tendency towards obesity and some developmental problems.  

• For the mother, gestational diabetes also has risks. On the one hand, there is a higher risk of having a C-section if it isn’t properly controlled and on the other, there is a much higher risk of developing type II diabetes after giving birth.  

How to detect and treat gestational diabetes

Because of the consequences that gestational diabetes can have both on the baby and the mother, at around week 28, all pregnant women undergo a routine test to rule out this illness.

In general, gestational diabetes is controlled with proper diet and exercise, but it is sometimes necessary to prescribe medication. Nowadays insulin in tablets may be used, although insulin in shots is also used.

The objective of the diet plan to treat gestational diabetes is to keep a constant blood sugar level and avoid its peaking or plummeting. The best way to do this is to eat three meals a day with three snacks in between, and to avoid foods that could cause a fast increase in sugar, such as candy or refined flour.  

Along with proper diet, it is recommended to exercise moderately by walking or swimming, always making sure you follow your doctor’s orders, in order to avoid hypoglycemia or a drop in blood sugar.  

In order to control how you are responding to the treatment, glucose control sticks are used. These are small devices in which you deposit a drop of blood and they immediately register the sugar content of the drop. The figures that indicate that diabetes is under control are:  

• Less than 90 mg/dL before breakfast

• Less than 140 mg/dL one hour after eating.

• Less than 120 mg/dL two hours after eating.