Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes is the medical term used to describe diabetes mellitus that presents during pregnancy and disappears after the baby has been delivered. The American Diabetes Association estimates that approximately 4% of women who are pregnant will develop gestational diabetes. This condition requires very specialized care for the remainder of the pregnancy in order to protect the health of both the mother and child. (62)
During pregnancy some women develop a resistance to insulin that results in gestational diabetes. Insulin is the hormone that draws sugar from the bloodstream into the cells where it is burned to supply energy at the cellular level. Without the sugar the body is forced to burn fat for fuel. This has a significant negative effect on both the mother and baby. The extra sugar in the bloodstream also causes complications in the health of the mother and child.