[Gestational diabetes].

Abstract

During pregnancy the body goes through a change in its metabolism that affects the way sugar is processed. In early pregnancy, blood sugar is more easily absorbed by the cells in the body. This prevents that too much glucose reaches the baby, which could be dangerous for its development. Around the middle of the pregnancy, the blood sugar will tend to be less absorbed by the cells, which means there is more sugar in the blood available for the baby to grow – this process is called “glucose intolerance”. If there is too much sugar circulating in the blood this can become a problem for the baby. When the woman has GD her body may have more difficulty regulating its blood sugar by itself which can lead to “hyperglycemia” (elevated blood sugar).