What causes gestational diabetes? What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

Many pregnant women will develop diabetes during pregnancy for some reasons. There are many reasons for pregnant women to develop diabetes. After pregnant women develop diabetes, they must be treated in time. So what causes gestational diabetes? What are the symptoms of gestational diabetes?

1. Pregnancy at an advanced age: Women over 30 are more likely to suffer from complications such as diabetes during pregnancy. Pregnancy within the appropriate age range will allow the body to withstand it and the quality of the fetus will be high.

2. Obesity. Obesity is not formed in one day. It is related to long-term living habits and eating habits. The fat cells in obese people are enlarged and less sensitive to insulin, which increases the workload of the pancreas. Over time, the pancreas will be exhausted and blood sugar cannot be effectively controlled. Women who eat too well after pregnancy and cannot control their weight are prone to diabetes, especially obese women.

3. Genetic reasons, race, region and family history also have a certain impact on whether a mother will develop diabetes. According to statistics, the proportion of pregnant women suffering from gestational diabetes is different in each continent, each race and each country. If the population is further subdivided, this data may be more representative. Similarly, pregnant women with a family history of the disease are more likely to suffer from the disease. Economic, environmental, cultural and other factors may also affect this result.

4. Endocrine reasons: After pregnancy, the mother's endocrine system will undergo great changes, and the level of hormone secretion will become very high. Although placental lactogen, thyroid hormone, steroid hormone, etc. are beneficial to the fetus, they have an antagonistic effect on insulin. If mothers have endocrine disorders, they may be at risk of developing diabetes.

There are three more and one less, eating more, drinking more, urinating more, and losing weight. Weight loss in pregnant women is a symptom of diabetes in pregnant women, because the daily food intake of pregnant women is almost fixed, and the baby in the body is also getting heavier day by day. Almost all normal pregnant women gain weight. If pregnant women lose weight at this time, then you should be alert to diabetes. The reason is that although a lot of nutritious food is eaten to replenish the body, because the body lacks a lot of insulin, the glucose in the food is not fully utilized and is immediately discharged, and the fat supplies heat energy, and the frequency of protein conversion to glucose also increases rapidly, so the body's sugars, proteins and fats are consumed in large quantities, resulting in poor physical fitness and light weight for pregnant women with gestational diabetes. Symptoms of gestational diabetes also include hyperemesis gravidarum. Don't confuse it with a general pregnancy reaction. Vomiting in pregnant women with diabetes can become hyperemesis, that is, severe nausea, vomiting, and even worse, it can even cause dehydration and electrolyte disorders. Susceptible to fungal infections, especially vulvar infections. Pregnant women with diabetes have reduced resistance to bacteria due to diabetes, and the vulva is a relatively weak part of the human body. Bacteria infect the vulva, causing a large amount of abnormal leucorrhea to flow out, making the vulva in a humid environment. If the patient does not pay attention to daily cleaning and often scratches with his hands, it is easy to cause vulvar itching. In severe cases, it can cause vulvar skin allergies or dermatitis. This is also a symptom of pregnant women suffering from diabetes.

Gestational diabetes has an impact on the development of the fetus. If blood sugar is not well controlled, the impact is even greater. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes have a significantly increased risk of miscarriage and premature birth. Due to high blood sugar and high consumption, the fetus is more likely to suffer from intrauterine distress or even intrauterine fetal death. The incidence of fetal malformations is also significantly increased, 3-5 times that of non-diabetic women. The incidence of macrosomia in pregnant women with gestational diabetes is as high as 10%-40%, which is 3-4 times higher than that of non-diabetic women. The incidence of birth injuries, prolonged labor, conversion to cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum infection and neonatal hypoglycemia during delivery also increases accordingly. High blood sugar can also inhibit fetal lung maturation, which can lead to neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, and significantly increase the perinatal mortality rate of newborns of diabetic mothers.

Most patients with gestational diabetes will return to normal after giving birth. Most patients with gestational diabetes can control their blood sugar through diet and exercise during pregnancy. Patients who fail to control their blood sugar through diet and exercise therapy can use insulin to control their blood sugar under the guidance of a doctor. Most patients with gestational diabetes who use insulin basically no longer need to use insulin after delivery. Only a few patients still need to rely on insulin for treatment. OGTT is usually performed 6-12 weeks after delivery. If it is still abnormal, it may be a diabetic patient who was missed before delivery.