How many weeks of pregnancy is the glucose tolerance test

Women need to do various prenatal tests during pregnancy. These prenatal tests are to ensure the health of women and the healthy development of the fetus. Glucose tolerance test is a must for women. This test is generally performed when the fetus is developing most clearly. The requirements for the test time are also relatively high. So when is the best time to do glucose tolerance test during pregnancy?

How many weeks of pregnancy should I do a glucose tolerance test

Previously, we have talked about the major fetal malformation screening. The best time for major fetal malformation screening is between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy, because the fetus can be observed most clearly at this time. Major fetal malformation screening has requirements for the time of the examination.

Similarly, glucose tolerance tests also have certain time requirements. Currently, Chinese hospitals generally use the industry standards for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes set by the Ministry of Health, that is, expectant mothers with normal fasting blood sugar in the early pregnancy should undergo a formal 75g glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy to monitor blood sugar levels on an fasting basis and 1 hour and 2 hours after drinking sugar. If any one of the three items reaches or exceeds the limit value, that is, fasting blood sugar and blood sugar 1 hour and 2 hours after taking sugar are 5.1mmol/L, 10.0mmol/L, and 8.5mmol/L respectively, gestational diabetes can be diagnosed. It is not difficult to find that many examinations are done during the 24-28 week period, because this period is very important for both expectant mothers and fetuses. At this stage, the fetus has been formed and various organs have developed. It is the best time to observe the fetus. Glucose tolerance testing is crucial for expectant mothers and babies. Therefore, expectant mothers should pay attention to glucose tolerance testing and pay attention to the best time for glucose tolerance testing.

In fact, the glucose tolerance test is to rule out gestational diabetes in expectant mothers, with the focus on checking blood sugar levels. It is very common for women to have diabetes during pregnancy. This includes two situations. The first is that the woman has diabetes before pregnancy and is pregnant at the same time. This situation is called diabetes combined with pregnancy. The second situation is the opposite. The blood sugar metabolism is normal before pregnancy, and blood sugar abnormalities appear after pregnancy. This is called gestational diabetes.

What is a glucose tolerance test?

In layman's terms, it is the body's tolerance to glucose. Hospitals usually conduct glucose tolerance tests on patients suspected of diabetes. If the blood sugar level in the glucose tolerance test is between 7.8 and 11.1 mmol/L 2 hours after taking sugar, it indicates that the body's glucose tolerance is reduced, which means that the body's absorption and utilization of sugar is worse than normal people.

Glucose tolerance tests are mainly used to check for gestational diabetes. Because gestational diabetes or abnormal glucose metabolism during pregnancy can be harmful to both the mother and the baby, and may cause miscarriage, gestational hypertension, infection, polyhydramnios, ketoacidosis, premature birth, etc., a glucose tolerance test is very necessary. The frequently used test method is the fasting oral glucose tolerance test. The patient's diet and activity are not restricted for at least 3 days before the test. The test is performed in the early morning. Venous blood is drawn after fasting for 12 hours to measure fasting blood sugar. Then 75 grams of glucose powder is dissolved in 300 ml of water and drunk within 5 minutes. The blood glucose concentration was measured at 1, 2, and 3 hours after taking sugar. Eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited during the entire examination period. Abnormal glucose metabolism during pregnancy is a common complication of pregnancy, which is divided into two states: gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and gestational impaired glucose tolerance (GIGT). GDM is gestational diabetes. GIGT means that blood sugar levels change steadily in the early stages, but the test value is an intermediate or transitional state between normal and abnormal. In other words, it is an imperfectly healthy state.