Sugar in urine during pregnancy: normal indicators, causes of deviations, treatment and possible consequences

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

During pregnancy, a woman's body undergoes major changes aimed at the successful bearing of a he althy baby. During this period, all organs work with a double load in order to support the body of not only the expectant mother, but also the child. During the period of bearing a baby, a woman must constantly take tests. They help to see any deviations from the norm, which will allow timely start of appropriate therapy. One of them is a urine test. During pregnancy, it is very important. He is not always good. Sometimes, after receiving its results, the question arises: what does sugar in the urine during pregnancy mean?

Why sugar rises

Kidneys are an organ that plays a huge role in the normal functioning of the body. During pregnancy, they have to work for two organisms. There are situations when failures occur in the kidneys that lead todisruption of their full function. During this period, tests may show the presence of sugar in the urine. This is not always a pathology. Sugar in the urine during pregnancy can also increase due to the large consumption of sweets.

But as a rule, such an analysis result indicates a certain pathology. Increased sugar in the urine during pregnancy indicates a critical amount of glucose. Glucose is our body's source of energy. A growing baby needs a lot of energy costs, so the mother's body increases its level in the blood. But it happens that some systems fail and the glucose level rises greatly. The reason for this may be a malfunction of the pancreas, which should control glucose levels. In this case, the excess is excreted in the urine, which is displayed in the test results.

Causes of sugar in urine

The main causes of urine sugar during pregnancy are:

• Diabetes. This is a very dangerous disease that requires treatment. But if it was diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy, we can talk about the gestational type of the disease. In this case, about a month after the birth, the condition stabilizes and the diagnosis is removed. But such a case requires very careful monitoring and implementation of all the recommendations of the attending physician.
• Any kidney disease.
• Endocrine disease that does not produce enough insulin to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood.
• Wrong diet, indominated by sweets and lots of sugar.
• Low physical activity.

Norm sugar in urine during pregnancy

Normally, he althy people have no sugar in their urine. Sometimes there is a small increase in values, called traces. In this case, an additional analysis and control of the doctor is prescribed. What is the normal amount of sugar in urine?

• Less than 1.69 mmol/liter is normal.
• Up to 2.79 mmol/liter - the so-called traces of glucose. Reported as normal but needs monitoring.
• Above 2.79 mmol/liter - above normal.

It is impossible to allow an increase in values above 3 mmol / liter, as this is fraught with very serious consequences, in which insulin is produced in insufficient quantities for the normal functioning of the body. And during pregnancy, such a condition can have a very negative impact on the fetus and the body of the mother herself, causing serious consequences.

Urine sugar symptoms

In the case of an increase in glucose levels, the symptoms are very blurred, but some signs should be paid attention to and see a doctor.

• Permanent increase in appetite.
• Frequent urge to urinate.
• Constantly feeling tired and sleepy.
• Sudden jumps in weight.
• Constant thirst.
• Irritable.

If repeated positive sugar tests are added to these symptoms, you need tostart remedial therapy immediately.

Diagnosis

Diagnosing the presence of sugar in the urine begins at 24-27 weeks with the help of a general analysis. If the result is positive, then for a clearer picture, a glucose test is performed. In this case, a woman needs to drink glucose diluted with water on an empty stomach. Based on the results of the test, a diet or medication may be prescribed.

It is important to know how to pass urine for sugar during pregnancy. As a rule, morning urine collection is prescribed after hygiene procedures. If, according to the results of several analyzes, there is no reliable result, you will need to pass the average daily urine. To do this, from 6 am to 6 pm, material is collected for analysis. Then, throughout the day, the jar must be kept at a temperature not higher than 18 degrees. For delivery, you need about 200 ml. To conduct a urine test during pregnancy, as in normal cases, you need to use only a sterile container.

About a day you should not eat sweet foods, as this may adversely affect the reliability of the result.

A blood glucose test is also carried out.

Risk categories

There are certain categories of people who may be prone to developing diabetes. In these cases, you need to more carefully monitor your he alth and take tests in a timely manner:

• Women who already had gestational diabetes in past pregnancies.
• In multiple pregnancy.
• Women over 30 as the risk of developing diabetes increases exponentially with age.
• If you have or are prone to urinary tract disease.
• Overweight women.
• If a large baby was born in a previous pregnancy.
• If there were problems in past pregnancies.

What is the danger of increased sugar in the urine

A condition in which sugar in the urine is elevated during pregnancy can lead to serious consequences for both mother and child. If slight traces are observed, this is not a dangerous condition, only medical supervision is required and, if necessary, corrective therapy. A pathological condition that requires immediate treatment is a significant increase in sugar levels or its frequent elevated levels.

The presence of sugar in the urine during pregnancy can lead to developmental disorders of the organs and systems of the fetus, increases the likelihood of having a baby with a large body weight, which can cause complications during childbirth. Also, this pathology provokes jaundice, underdevelopment of the lungs, neurological disorders in a newborn child. Sometimes gestational diabetes progresses to type 2 diabetes after childbirth. The dangerous consequences of an increase in sugar in the urine are high blood pressure and edema, which is why it is likely to develop gestosis.

Treatment

Basically, sugar in the urine during pregnancy appears due to malnutrition and inactivelifestyle. If abnormalities are found in the test results, a special diet is recommended that excludes sugary foods, fatty foods and fruits such as bananas and grapes. It is worth giving preference to vegetables, lean meats and fish, and dairy products that do not contain sugar. The diet should be low-carbohydrate, with the exception of complex carbohydrates. It is recommended to eat in small portions. You can't skip meals.

In the event that sugar in the urine continues to rise, the doctor prescribes insulin therapy in the form of injections, since diabetes pills are strictly prohibited during pregnancy. Do not be afraid of the use of drugs, since injectable insulin preparations do not penetrate the fetus. After the birth, both mother and baby will be observed by an endocrinologist for some time.

Reduce sugar in urine and exercise. During pregnancy, you can take leisurely walks and do special yoga that is allowed in this state.

In any case, to find out how to reduce sugar in the urine during pregnancy, you must definitely consult with your doctor, who will prescribe the best treatment for you. Do not neglect trips to the hospital and disrupt the schedule for passing the necessary tests.

Prevention

Prevention is very important to prevent disease. This is especially worth paying attention to for women who are at risk of developing diabetes:

• First, you need not to miss examinations at the doctor and take all the necessary tests in time to control sugar in the urine or blood. This will allow you to identify the increase at the initial level. In this case, timely therapy will help to avoid dangerous consequences.
• Also don't neglect small physical activities that your doctor will approve.
• You need to control your weight, eat right.

Forecast

If the increase in sugar in the urine is of the gestational type, then, as a rule, some time after pregnancy, the condition returns to normal. It is only important to stick to a certain diet.

If any diseases provoked an increase, the prognosis will also be positive, subject to the doctor's recommendations.

The situation when a woman has diabetes during pregnancy requires more in-depth treatment, sometimes with the use of medications. In this case, the prognosis may be positive in case of adequate therapy and the implementation of all recommendations given by the doctor.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a very happy, but at the same time very responsible period, requiring great care from the expectant mother in relation to her body. Indeed, sometimes even minor symptoms can indicate an incipient pathology that can harm not only the woman herself, but also the child. Timely initiated therapy and preventive measures can nullify the consequences of many diseases, curing them at the initial stage of occurrence. It is important to listen to your doctor, go through all the planned procedures and take tests. Do not disregard even insignificant, at first glance,a symptom of feeling unwell to avoid dangerous consequences.