Gestational Diabetes
By Andrew Palmer, Fri Dec 9th

Gestational is a temporary condition that occurs duringpregnancy. Pregnant women who have never had before,but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, are saidto have gestational diabetes. Gestational affects about4% of all pregnancies, making it one of the top health concernsrelated to pregnancy.

What is the cause of gestational diabetes? While no-onereally knows the true cause, there are some contributing factorsthat might increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes.These factors include: * Obesity in the woman * A family historyof * Older maternal age (over the age of 30). * Havinghad gestational in a previous pregnancy. * A previousdelivery of a large (greater than 9 pounds) baby .

What are the risks of gestational diabetes? High sugarlevels in your blood can be unhealthy for both you and yourbaby. If a woman had gestational during pregnancy,there is an increased risk of developing for bothmother and child. Babies born to mothers with gestationaldiabetes have a greater change of developing diabetes, but thereis also some other risks involved, such as macrosomia, or a"fat" baby. Babies with macrosomia face health problems of theirown, including damage to their shoulders during birth, or ahigher risk for breathing problems.

Treating gestational diabetes In most cases,

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gestationaldiabetes is managed by diet and exercise, and goes away afterthe baby is born. But because gestational can hurt youand your baby, it is important to start treatment quickly. Youshould consult your doctor for special meal plans and scheduledphysical activity.

There is no need to panic While gestational is acause for concern, the good news with the correct diet andexercise, you can keep your blood glucose levels under control,and give a healthy start for your baby.

About the author:Andrew Palmer maintains the website diabetesweb.net, aninformational website on all aspects of diabetes. For moreinformation visit http://www.diabetesweb.net