Sugar high during pregnancy - how serious is it?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is an amazing event that completely changes the life of every woman. Adjusting to the beating of a small heart, the mother's body tries to do everything to make the baby comfortable for all nine months. Unfortunately, for a long forty weeks, the expectant mother has to experience not only the joy of meeting with the baby soon, but also a lot of discomfort that accompanies pregnancy. Some of the inevitable companions of pregnancy do not pose any danger to the fetus, others require constant medical supervision. One of the serious complications during the period of expectation of a child is gestational diabetes, a condition in which the level of glucose in the peripheral blood increases.

What does high blood sugar indicate during pregnancy?

At the first appearance at the antenatal clinic, the expectant mother receives from the doctor a referral for tests to assess the general condition of the pregnant woman. One of the most significant indicators in this huge list is the determination of blood glucose. If it is found that sugar is elevated during pregnancy, the woman will be asked to undergo additionalexamination, as well as a course of treatment if necessary.

The increase in blood glucose concentration is not at all as harmless as it might seem at first glance. A change in sugar levels triggers a whole range of pathological mechanisms leading to a significant deterioration in the condition of a pregnant woman. The processes occurring in the body of the expectant mother will inevitably affect the development of the fetus, increasing the risk of having a child with signs of diabetic fetopathy.

How do you know if your blood sugar is high during pregnancy?

A woman takes a blood test to detect glucose levels twice: at the first appearance at the antenatal clinic and for a period of 22-24 weeks. At the same time, the expectant mother should not limit herself in food or somehow change her usual diet three days before the planned examination. Blood is usually taken from a vein in the morning on an empty stomach. Exceeding the permissible values in most cases indicates the development of gestational diabetes.

Why is glucose rising?

Under normal conditions, sugar content is regulated by the hormone insulin, which is continuously produced by the pancreas. Under its influence, glucose, which came with food, gradually passes into the cells of the body, performing its function there. This lowers the blood sugar level. What happens during pregnancy and why does this well-established mechanism fail?

Hormones that allow you to bear a child are insulin antagonists. Elevated blood sugar inpregnancy is due to the fact that the pancreas simply does not cope with its work in such conditions. Pregnancy hormones activate the release of glucose into the blood, and insulin, which can bind excess sugar, is not enough. As a result, so-called gestational diabetes develops, dangerous for its unpredictable consequences.

Risk factors

It would seem that in this situation, any woman in an interesting position should suffer from an excess of glucose in the body. However, not every expectant mother has increased sugar during pregnancy. What increases the risk of developing the disease?

• obesity;

• heredity (diabetes mellitus in close relatives);

• development of a similar situation in a previous pregnancy;

• polycystic ovary syndrome;

• Age over 25.

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

In many cases, a pregnant woman is not even aware that she has elevated blood glucose levels. Her state of he alth does not change in any way, the baby is actively moving and makes itself felt with very active shocks. The danger of gestational diabetes is that the amount of sugar in the blood will gradually increase, leading to serious complications.

As the pregnancy progresses, glucose levels will rise and insulin levels will inevitably decline. The manifestation of diabetes mellitus is characterized by the following symptoms:

• constant feeling of thirst;

• increased appetite;

• increaseurination;

• Visual impairment.

For an accurate diagnosis, only complaints of deterioration in well-being will not be enough. Hunger and frequent urination are common among many pregnant women with perfectly normal blood sugar levels. The expectant mother will have to undergo a special examination to confirm or deny gestational diabetes.

Diagnosis

In order to find out whether sugar is really elevated during pregnancy, a woman is invited to donate blood to determine the level of glucose. The analysis is given on an empty stomach.

Interpretation of results:

• 3.3 to 5.5 mmol/l – normal;

• 5.5 to 7 mmol/l – impaired glucose tolerance;

• more than 7.1 mmol/l – diabetes mellitus.

When the glucose level is more than 7.1 mmol/l, the expectant mother is sent for a consultation with an endocrinologist to confirm the diagnosis and develop treatment tactics.

Elevated urine sugar during pregnancy also indicates the development of gestational diabetes. Most often, glucose is detected in the later stages, when the disease has gone quite far. Sugar in the urine indicates that the kidneys are no longer able to cope with their function, which means that the risk of complications from all organs and systems of the female body increases.

How dangerous is gestational diabetes?

Many pregnant women do not seek help from specialists, hoping that after childbirth the levelglucose will drop by itself. They do not know what is really dangerous high sugar during pregnancy. The consequences of gestational diabetes can be very sad. In women with high blood sugar, the risk of preeclampsia (a condition characterized by swelling and high blood pressure in late pregnancy) increases. In addition, the likelihood of getting complications from the kidneys and urinary system increases. Don't forget that women with diabetes often give birth prematurely.

How does diabetes affect the fetus?

Elevated blood sugar level of the mother also affects the condition of the baby. The complex of symptoms that develop during such a pregnancy is called diabetic fetopathy. With this pathology, the child is born very large, more than 4.5 kg. But a lot of weight does not mean that the baby will be he althy. On the contrary, diabetic fetopathy is characterized by a lag in physical development. Due to the lack of surfactant (a substance that helps the lungs open at birth), the newborn has various respiratory problems. Very often, pathological jaundice develops, as well as a variety of neurological disorders.

Treatment of gestational diabetes

Most expectant mothers are frightened when they find high blood sugar during pregnancy. What to do if such a nuisance happened? First of all, a woman should seek the advice of a specialist. The endocrinologist will assess the condition of the expectant mother and, depending on the severity of the disease, prescribe the necessarytreatment.

In most cases, the management of pregnant women with diabetes is to change the diet. Normalizing the level of insulin in the blood allows you to do without heavy artillery in the form of hormonal drugs. The diet for high sugar during pregnancy includes the following principles:

• The daily ration is divided between proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the ratio of 20-25%, 35-40% and 35% respectively.

• During the entire period of pregnancy, there is a gradual decrease in the calorie content of food to 25-30 kcal per 1 kg of weight.

• Any easily digestible carbohydrates (especially sweets) are excluded from daily consumption.

In the event that diet alone fails to normalize the level of sugar, a pregnant woman is prescribed insulin therapy. The selection of the dose is carried out by the endocrinologist. He also monitors the expectant mother throughout the entire gestation period and, if necessary, changes the dose of the prescribed drug.

Emergency Diabetes Care

During pregnancy, all diabetic women are advised to purchase a personal glucometer. This drug allows you to control the level of sugar in the peripheral blood at any time and take the necessary measures when it changes. Gestational diabetes is dangerous not only by an increase in glucose concentration, but also by its sharp decrease. This condition threatens with sudden weakness, loss of consciousness and even coma.

How to increase blood sugar during pregnancy to ensure that you avoid the unpleasant consequences of diabetes? A woman should remember that in her condition, dizziness and weakness are dangerous symptoms that require immediate help. When the first signs of a drop in glucose appear, the expectant mother is advised to urgently eat something sweet. It can be a piece of candy stored in your purse for such an occasion, or a piece of chocolate. In order to avoid such a situation, a pregnant woman should eat well, remembering to include in her diet not only tasty, but also he althy foods.

Gestational diabetes usually goes away on its own after the baby is born. You should not relax - in women who have undergone this pathology during pregnancy, the risk of developing true diabetes is significantly increased. To prevent this serious disease, it is recommended to review your diet, increase physical activity and regularly monitor blood glucose levels. Compliance with these rules will help a woman to notice any deviations in the state of he alth in time and take the necessary measures to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.