Treatment Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus, also known commonly as diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the body doesn’t produce or misuses insulin in the body. There are different classifications of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes. Type 1 is when the body does not produce any insulin. It is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. Type 2 is when the body doesn’t use insulin properly and can develop in anyone and seen at any age. Both types require strict management which can range from medications to diet. If it’s not managed correctly, it can lead to a diabetic coma or even death (Diabetes Basics, n.d.).

Presently, diabetes is a major concern for health care system across the world. Diabetes is a disease that is characterized by either low levels of insulin or an abnormal resistance to the effects of insulin coupled with inadequate levels of insulin secretion to balance. The three major divisions of diabetes are type one, type two, and gestational. The first subclass of diabetes, type I or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), is usually characterized clinically by abrupt onset of symptoms, insulinopenia and dependence on injected insulin to sustain life, and proneness to ketosis (raised levels of ketones in the body). On the other hand, type 2 diabetes is the noninsulin dependent form of the disease that often presents without the metabolic abnormalities typically associated with diabetes. However, they may require insulin for correction of symptomatic, or persistent, fasting hyperglycemia if this cannot be achieved with the use of diet or oral agents. Such patients may develop ketosis under special circumstances, such as severe stress precipitated by infections or trauma (National Diabetes Data Group, 1979). Gestational diabetes is comparable to type two diabetes because of its insulin resistant nature, and involves the hormones of pregnancy forming an environment that breeds insulin opposition in women genetically predisposed to diabetes. Diabetes exists in all ages of people, in all races of people, and in every region around the world. Alone, diabetes is already

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Caring for yourself during your pregnancy when you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes (diabetes mellitus) means keeping your blood sugar (glucose) under control with a balance of:

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Rowan J., Gao W., Battin M., & Moore M. (2008). Metformin Vs. Insulin for the Treatment of Gestational Diabetes. The New England Journal of Medicine. 358(19):2003-2015.

Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy due to elevated glucose levels. Complications of gestational diabetes include macrosomia, preterm labor, and respiratory distress. It can also lead to diabetes later in life for the mother. Normalizing blood sugars is an important way to prevent these complications and maintain a healthy pregnancy (Lowdermilk 2014). In a research study of pregnant women, it examined the outcomes of pregnancies if glucose testing was done continuously vs self-monitoring.

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).

Gestational diabetes (mellitus) is diabetes, or glucose intolerance, recognized during pregnancy. It has all of the normal effects of diabetes mellitus, but compounds with the possible complications that may result to the mother or child. Thankfully, gestational diabetes is manageable with simple things, like exercise and a proper gestational diabetes diet menu. If properly managed, gestational diabetes may reverse after pregnancy ends.

To get even more specific, a study was done about the sole issue of the number of stillbirths that result in diabetic pregnancies. Using pregnancies from 1990-2000, researchers analyzed characteristics of the pregnancy: the mother, her control over her diabetes, the pregnancy itself, and the still born. Looking through 1300 women, 25 stillbirths were found among 22 women. Within those stillbirths, 9 were caused by poor glycemic control, with the rest due to explainable (smoking, poor environment, diabetic nephropathy etc) or unexplainable causes.

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