Gestational Diabetes Mellitus ( Gdm ) Essay

Cause- When the pregnant woman has high blood sugar levels throughout her pregnancy can adversely affect her growing baby. IDM’s are commonly larger than the normal newborn; organs are enlarged as well; including the heart, the liver and adrenal glands. After birth IDM’s are more prone to hypoglycemia due to the increase of insulin in the blood. During the first day of life the infant of a diabetic mother will need close monitoring of blood sugar levels.

During a pregnancy these increased hormones are made by the placenta, which is helping move nutrients from the mother to the baby, and also making hormones to prevent the mother from developing low blood sugar by stopping the actions of insulin (Seibel, 2009).” A pregnant woman’s pancreas is usually able to produce more insulin to overcome the effect of the pregnancy hormones; however, if for some reason a women’s pancreas cannot make up the difference the blood sugar levels will rise and gestational diabetes will occur.(Seibel, 2009)

Amanda manages her gestational diabetes with diet. She experiences a few episodes of postprandial hyperglycemia, but does not have to go on insulin. At her 36-week

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

4). There are two major types of diabetes mellitus, type 1 and type 2, and gestational diabetes is a third type that could occur during pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the more common of the three types, attributing tor around 95 percent of new cases of diabetes (Prezbindowski & Porth, 2005 pg. 1309 para. 1). Diabetes mellitus is caused by one’s body having trouble breaking down foods they eat to convert to energy due to an inefficient supply of insulin or an inability to use insulin effectively. The source of the problem derives from beta cells located in the pancreas. These cells are special for their production of insulin and response to it. If there is a problem with the beta cells in the pancreas, then their inefficient supply and absorption of insulin results to an increased amount of glucose in the blood stream that cannot be absorbed sufficiently which leads to a diabetic condition. If one may suspect diabetes mellitus as a health condition they are experiencing, there are common signs and symptoms that are associated with the disease.

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

Women with GDM are at elevated risk for numerous maternal health complications, and their infants are at elevated risk for death and morbidity. (Dye, Knox, Artal, Aubry, & Wojtowycz, 1997)It developed in one out of twenty five pregnancies worldwide. Frequently it occurs in African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians, and people with a family history of diabetes than in other groups. It usually disappears after pregnancy, but the mother and the child are at big risk of developing type two diabetes.

Gestational diabetes, which is much less common, only occurs during pregnancy and is caused by a resistance to the actions of insulin brought on by the hormones a woman’s body releases during pregnancy (WHO 2011, p. 2). Once diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus you are at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life (Zimmet & Magliano 2011). For this reason it is particularly important to use preventative measures and consistent health checks.

Gestational diabetes, affecting approximately 3-10% of pregnancies, is diagnosed by hyperglycemia during pregnancy in women without a history of diabetes. The underlying cause of gestational diabetes remains unknown, although the interference of pregnancy hormones, such as human placental lactogen, with susceptible insulin receptors, has been considered. The patients usually have few symptoms, and they are often diagnosed by screening during routine pregnancy check-up. For the mother, glucose intolerance typically disappears after the baby is born. However, gestational diabetes often places the body at risk. Babies born to mothers with poor hyperglycemia control are often at increased risk of series problems including macrosomia, which associates with a high chance of C-section, shoulder dystocia, hypoglycemia after birth, polycythemia as well as multiple chemical disorders.

Gestational Diabetes: This is often found in pregnant women who have never had an incidence of high blood sugar or a history of diabetes. It is characterized by high levels of blood glucose during pregnancy but normal blood glucose levels after pregnancy if controlled right (WHO,

Almost all women have some degree of impaired glucose intolerance as a result of hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. That means that their blood sugar may be higher than normal, but not high enough to have diabetes. During the later part of pregnancy (the third trimester), these hormonal changes place pregnant woman at risk for gestational diabetes.

This exposure to high levels of glucose can lead to high levels of fetal insulin production, both of which are a danger to the baby brain (Davis Health 2012). Additionally, these levels may lead to a lack of oxygen to the fetus, known as fetal hypoxia (Krakowiak et al 2012). This is known to affect brain structure, particularly the hippocampus and neural myelination (Krakowiak et al 2012). Women who have difficulties regulating their glucose levels prior to becoming pregnant often develop gestational diabetes mellitus, which only appears during pregnancy (Krakowiak et al 2012). More than 85 percent of maternal diabetes cases pertain to gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM (Xu et al 2014). Though gestational diabetes is the most common form of diabetes during/ pregnancy, preexisting type 1 and type 2 diabetes still appear, together only accounting for 12.5 percent of maternal diabetes cases, and can also affect the growing fetus (Xu et al 2014).

Between 5.5 and 8.8% of pregnant women develop GDM in Australia. Risk factors for GDM include a family history of diabetes, increasing maternal age, obesity and being a member of a community or ethnic group with a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. While the carbohydrate intolerance usually returns to normal after the birth, the mother has a significant risk of developing permanent diabetes while the baby is more likely to develop obesity and impaired glucose tolerance and/or diabetes later in life. Self-care and dietary changes are essential in treatment.

If the gestational diabetes is not under control, the baby will also have high blood glucose. The baby's pancreas will have to make extra insulin to control the high blood glucose. The extra glucose in the baby's blood is stored as fat.

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