A Research Study On Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ( Gdm ) Essay

Along with all the worries and complications a woman might face while pregnant, one of the more serious conditions is gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes occurs in 4% of all pregnancies (Seibel, 2009). Many women are not informed about the disease, some may not know that they need to be tested, and others may have heard about it, but want more information on what may cause it and/or how to prevent and treat it. Either way this disease needs to be taken seriously by every pregnant woman or woman planning to get pregnant to protect not only herself but the unborn child.

Most pregnancies progress with the mother being healthy, however in some cases problems do arise with the mother developing complications. This can in the form of gestational diabetes. Mothers who didn’t have diabetes prior to pregnancy exhibit high blood sugar levels, in most cases this is during the later stages of pregnancy, this could lead to pre-eclampsia and babies could be born with higher birth weights. If left unchecked mothers can develop type 2 diabetes post pregnancy.

The clinic RN reviews Amanda's prenatal record prior to performing a nursing assessment. Amanda has given birth twice, once at 35-weeks (twins) and once at 39-weeks (singleton). All of these children are alive and well. She has had one spontaneous abortion at 9-weeks gestation.

It is estimated that 387 million people, globally live with diabetes (Phillips & Mehl, 2015). According to Medical News Today [MNT], diabetes is a metabolic disorder; which causes patients to be extremely thirsty and produce a lot of urine. Diabetes arises due to high blood pressure, due to the body not being able to produce enough insulin or because the body does not respond well to high insulin levels (MNT, 2016). There are four types of diabetes; there is the pre-diabetic stage, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. In 2014, 29 million people died due to diabetes. This equates to 1 diabetic patient dying every seven seconds due to preventable complications (including complications affecting lower limbs) caused by diabetes. It is said that 20-40% of health care costs are spent on the treatment of lower limb complications due to diabetes. The risk of a diabetic patient developing a foot ulcer is 25% and foot ulcers account approximately 85% of lower limb amputations. Diabetic complications that affect lower limbs are caused by both type 1 and type 2 diabetes (Phillips & Mehl, 2015). It is said that the World Health Organization described diabetic foot syndrome as including all possible complications in relation to the feet of a diabetic patient. Diabetic foot syndrome is defined as the ulceration of the foot, from the ankle downwards. Causes of foot ulceration include peripheral sensory neuropathy, vascular disease (ischaemia) and infection

As the years go by, society starts to progress and develop many fast and easy solutions for everything. Not only are the easy solutions being created but the cost of living is increasing making people to work harder and later and not have time to have a healthy lifestyle. Fast foods are everywhere you go and not only is it fast it is also cheap making it harder to get a decent healthy meal. Due to society changing so much, diabetes is on the rise. What is diabetes? Diabetes is several diseases that are characterized by high levels of glucose that are the results of the insulin action or production. “The term diabetes mellitus describes a metabolic disorder of multiple aetiology characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.” (CDC) If diabetes is not taken seriously, it can have severe damages that include organ failures or damages and even death.

The writer explained there could be no concern for fetal or maternal health during the delivery although some obstetricians tended to induce labor in all diabetic mothers to protect babies and mothers. Moreover, labor progress was supposedly assessed by old-fashioned methods, which resulted in performing unnecessary obstetrical practices. Intervention was imposed in cases of inaccurately labeled slow or abnormal labors and failures to progress. It is common practice that a primary cesarean generally produces subsequent surgical deliveries. The author realized that cesareans were performed because of insufficient data on laboring women’s

This research consisted of key informants and general informants. These general informants were leaders in the community, granny midwives and African American and European American health care professionals. These general informants came from the clinics and hospitals where key informants were from. The key informants from each region were women who were either pregnant or had a baby within in a year preceding the study. (Marjorie Morgan, 1996)

There are several different types of diabetes. Type one diabetes is when the body produces little or no insulin and can be known as a chronic disease. This type can be considered the most severe, because people who have type one are born with it and there is no cure. The only way to control type one is to manually pump insulin into the body whenever sugar is consumed. Gestational diabetes occurs only in pregnant women and is caused when the body changes and cannot respond to insulin (National Institutes of Health). In many cases this type of diabetes can be set in remission with the correct diet and exercise during a pregnancy. This type also has the chance to give the unborn child diabetes as well, and the mother may have to live

In 2014, diabetes was responsible for 4.9 million deaths, approximately one death every seven seconds (Bone, 2015). For some women, pregnancy can precipitate diabetes causing numerous subsequent lifelong complications for both the mother and her fetus/newborn. The previous shocking statistic is just one of the many reasons why implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) protocols is an essential aspect in providing great patient care. In addition, EBP is crucial in improving patient outcomes while decreasing negative outcomes that can result in lifelong complications due to gestational diabetes. The process of establishing an EBP requires research to be critically appraised before it could be used

The Gestational Diabetes Act is a bill that amends the Public Health Service Act (Congress.gov., 2015). This act emphasizes on the National Vital Statistics System, the National Center for Health Statistics, and State health departments to monitor and collect data on GDM. Regarding babies born from mothers with GDM, those diagnosed and undiagnosed with GDM. Finding ways to track and monitor postpartum women with GDM, implementing interventions that are culturally sensitive to reduce the risk of developing GDM and complications. The act also focuses on clinical and public health research on GDM to find interventions for women with a history of GDM from developing DM II as well as their children. Research on understanding GDM regarding risk

In gestational diabetes, this type of diabetes develops in women only during pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant there are a surge of varied hormones that are produced. These hormones sometimes lead to a pregnant woman developing resistance to the insulin just like the other two types of diabetes. It also comes about because the body cannot use the insulin that is produced, effectively. This usually affects a woman in her second trimester and goes away after the birth of the baby. Developing GD can put a woman at risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in her life or developing GD with every pregnancy that follows. It can also lead to certain health problems in their children like childhood obesity or the risk of developing diabetes in later life.

There is an unresolved debate on whether routine HbA1c’s are not cost effective and the model should remain as women receiving a polycose test at 24-28 weeks. An HbA1c is a blood test that requires no consumption of concentrated glucose drinks or fasting. It measures the amount of blood glucose over the prior 120 days (Sevket, Sevket, Ozel, Dansuk & Kelekci, 2014). It has however been concluded that HbA1c’s are not an alternative for diagnosis of GDM and are not useful in reduces the need for further diagnostic testing (Sevket, Sevket, Ozel, Dansuk & Kelekci, 2014). Therefore not all guidelines are updated to follow these recommendations supported by the MOH (2014) REFERENCE and REFERENCE. The algothrithm for ADHB (2013) and WDHB (2012) follow the ‘risk screening’ approach where only women with risk factors are offered an HbA1c, all other women are offered the routine polycose at 24-28 weeks. Victorias midwife followed these guidelines. The screening and diagnosis of GDM also detects unrecognised type two diabetes and rarely type one (Pairman et al., 2015) because the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus includes insulin resistance, similar to GDM. Thus pregnancy provides a window of opportunity to identify women at risk of developing type 2 diabetes or who may be in the prediabetic state (Lacroix et al, 2013; Chasam-Taber, 2015). Prehaps if Victoria was offered an HbA1c at booking her GDM might have been recognised earlier.

Gestational diabetes is a disease that affects pregnant women it’s a glucose intolerance that is started or diagnosed during pregnancy. Based on recently announced diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, it is estimated that gestational diabetes affects 18% of pregnancies. Pregnancy hormones can block insulin therefore causing the glucose levels to increase in a pregnant woman’s blood. Gestational diabetes starts when your body is not able to make and use all the insulin it needs for pregnancy (American Diabetes Association). Without enough insulin, glucose cannot leave the blood and be changed to

According to O'Higgins, McGuire, Mustafa and Dunn (2014) pregnant women with diabetes need support and reassurance regarding their ability to control BGL; while coping with the many challenges associated with the management of diabetes in pregnancy. In addition clinic provides the support and reassurance needed by the client as well as regular assessment also having access to expert guidance by health care professionals, interacting with women who have similar concerns as well as feeling cared for and not being alone in this situation. Levitt (2008) explains that frequent clinic visit by the client provides them with support through counselling on nutrition and physical activity as well as improve the client basic knowledge of diabetes management

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an intolerance of glucose documented for the first time during pregnancy. It is usually a short-term type of diabetes and the most common health problem with pregnant women. GBM is caused by the way the hormones in pregnancy affect the mother. GDM accounts for 5-7% of all pregnancies (American Diabetes Association, 2010). During pregnancy the placenta develops and becomes the main bond between the mother and the baby. It is used to make sure the baby has and gets enough nutrients. The placenta makes several hormones which make it hard for insulin to control blood glucose and block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body (American Diabetes Association, 2010). Hormonal changes during the