Dr. Steven Edelman answers the question: "What Is Gestational Diabetes?"
Question: What is gestational diabetes and can it hurt my baby?
Answer: Gestational diabetes is when diabetes appears during pregnancy. High glucose levels in the mother during pregnancy can cause problems to the offspring at birth. If the diabetes is not well-controlled, then there is a higher need for caesarean section, since the babies are typically large, over nine pounds, but internally immature; they typically have to stay in the hospital much longer and require extra care.
Now, if the blood sugars are controlled during pregnancy, then there are typically no problems at all with the baby, and the baby is totally healthy.
Most of the time women who develop gestational diabetes will return to normal after delivery, however, they will have a much greater chance of getting type 2 diabetes later on in life.
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