Patient's question:
Factors or causes of diabetes during pregnancyDoctor's answer:
Hello, gestational diabetes refers to a condition where a person does not have diabetes before pregnancy but develops high blood sugar during pregnancy. Its incidence rate is approximately 1% to 3%. The screening method involves drinking 50 grams of glucose solution between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy, and then testing blood sugar one hour later. If the blood sugar level exceeds the standard, further testing with a 100-gram glucose tolerance test is required.Medical advice: During the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, the body of a pregnant woman produces more insulin-resistant substances, such as placental lactogen, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and placental insulinase. These substances reduce the sensitivity of the mother to insulin as the pregnancy progresses. To maintain normal blood sugar metabolism, the body needs to produce more insulin. For pregnant women with limited insulin secretion, the body cannot properly compensate for this physiological change during pregnancy, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. This can worsen existing diabetes or result in GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus).