This is a condition in which a female when get pregnant, become diabetic with having high blood sugar levels then normal. This may happen due to heredity or the hormonal changes and some times due to poor diet habits and life style.
The case may be any of the two types:
1.Gestational diabetes- when diabetes is detected for the first time during pregnancy or There is a history of diabetes during previous pregnancies .
2.Known Diabetic -a woman who is known to have diabetes before her pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes should be followed seriously since many of these cases may need insulin treatment during the last trimester. In a known diabetic ,the control of blood glucose levels to ideal range should be achieved before the patient is advised to conceive. Keep monitoring sugar levels during pregnancy as well.
Gestational diabetes patient should follow a diabetic diet to keep the sugar levels under control. The diet a women should follow is high protein high fibre and low carbohydrate.
Diet high in fibre like salads, fruits, mix seeds, green leafy vegetables etc.
Protein rich foods liked skimmed milk,eggs,fish chicken, soya bean as well as green leafy vegetables should be given adequately.
This is a common myth that during pregnancy you can eat any thing, but this is completely wrong to do..if a pregnant lady start eating over calories, she ends up having extra weight gain which leads to higher weight after delivery.
Some of the traditional food items popularly given during pregnancy in our country like ghee and excess dry fruits which are rich in calories should not given to diabetic pregnant women.
A well controlled diabetic mother can be taken to term if the foetal assessment is reliable.
Neonatal care is important, especially if the mother’s blood glucose is not ideally controlled in the last few weeks. These infants have a greater risk of respiratory distress, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoglycemia, birth injuries and asphyxia.