What are the effects of gestational diabetes on pregnant women?

Diabetes is one of the diseases that has a great impact in modern life, and its prevalence rate remains high, bringing harm to more and more people. Diabetes is becoming younger and younger, and even many pregnant women suffer from diabetes, which is called gestational diabetes. It is extremely detrimental to the development of the fetus and can easily lead to fetal maldevelopment, etc. Let’s take a look at the effects of gestational diabetes on pregnant women.

1. It can increase the fetal mortality rate

Expectant mothers may not know that the increased fetal mortality rate is mainly related to the increased blood sugar level of the expectant mother. This is because high blood sugar affects the blood oxygen supply to the placenta, reducing the oxygen supply and causing fetal intrauterine hypoxia. After 36 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus's demand for oxygen increases, and the serious consequences can be imagined. If expectant mothers with gestational diabetes can strictly control their blood sugar and strengthen fetal monitoring in the late pregnancy, the fetal mortality rate can be reduced.

2. It can form a giant fetus

Gestational diabetes mainly occurs in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, when the fetus's organs have already formed. Therefore, the main impact of excessive sugar on the fetus is that it can cause its overdevelopment, resulting in a giant fetus.

3. Can cause fetal malformation

Fetuses born to expectant mothers with gestational diabetes are prone to neurological and cardiovascular malformations, such as spina bifida, hydrocephalus, congenital anal atresia, etc.

4. Can cause neonatal jaundice

Gestational diabetes can cause fetal hypoxia in the uterus and increase erythropoietin in the fetus, causing polycythemia. Newborns with polycythemia are prone to neonatal jaundice because a large number of red blood cells in their bodies are destroyed.

5. Can cause hypoglycemia in newborns

When the mother's blood sugar is high, the fetus in her belly will automatically secrete more insulin to deal with the extra sugar, causing the fetus to easily develop hyperinsulinemia, a condition that can cause neonatal hypoglycemia in newborns.