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Author:
Andrew Palmer

Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition that occurs during pregnancy. Pregnant women who have never had diabetes before, but who have high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, are said to have gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnancies, making it one of the top health concerns related to pregnancy.

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

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

Treating gestational diabetes
In most cases, gestational diabetes is managed by diet and exercise, and goes away after the baby is born. But because gestational diabetes can hurt you and your baby, it is important to start treatment quickly. You should consult your doctor for special meal plans and scheduled physical activity.

There is no need to panic
While gestational diabetes is a cause for concern, the good news with the correct diet and exercise, 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, an informational website about all aspects of diabetes.

| Article Keywords: Diabetes

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Diabetes... What Is Diabetes? Your doctor may have recently advised you have diabetes. Or you are overweight and you have discovered you may be at risk of diabetes. Others may have a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with the disease. Just what does diabetes mean and how does it affect your lifestyle? Diabetes means that your blood glucose (often called blood sugar) is too high. Your blood always has some glucose in it because your body needs glucose for energy to keep you going. But too much glucose in the blood isn't good for your health. How do you get high blood glucose? Glucose comes from the food you eat and is also made in your liver and muscles. Your blood carries the glucose to all the cells in your body. Insulin is a chemical (a hormone) made by the pancreas. The pancreas releases insulin into the blood. Insulin helps the glucose from food get into your cells. If your body doesn't make enough insulin or if the insulin doesn't work the way it should, glucose can't get into your cells. It stays in your blood instead. Your blood glucose level then gets too high, causing pre-diabetes or diabetes. What is pre-diabetes? Pre-diabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes. People with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes and for heart disease and stroke. The good news is if you have pre-diabetes, you can reduce your risk of getting diabetes. With modest weight loss and moderate physical activity, you can delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and even return to normal glucose levels. What are the signs of diabetes? The signs of diabetes are: · being very thirsty · urinating often · feeling very hungry or tired · losing weight without trying ...