Both gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes during pregnancy pose significant health risks to both women and their babies. When discovered during pregnancy, diabetes is referred to as gestational diabetes. Usually, gestational diabetes disappears naturally after childbirth and treatment is automatically discontinued after the baby is born. But this is not the case for women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, who tend to have elevated blood sugar levels even after pregnancy has ended.

If not properly managed, diabetes can lead to serious health risks such as heart attacks, stroke damage, and even blindness. Current research points out how serious gestational diabetes can be—even though it is often considered a milder form of diabetes, it can cause significant harm to both the mother’s and the baby’s lives. Women who have gestational diabetes are more likely to face complications during labor, and their babies tend to be larger than average. The babies are also at greater risk of having respiratory problems and jaundice.

For women who continue to have diabetes after childbirth, including in their babies, there is a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

That’s why testing for diabetes during pregnancy is extremely important, so the appropriate treatment can begin immediately, reducing the chances of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Some warning signs for increased risk include women who are overweight, have a family history of diabetes, are over 40 years of age, have previously given birth to a very large baby, or have the presence of glucose in their urine, which is usually detected during routine prenatal urine tests.

See also: Gestational Diabetes – How to Diagnose and Treat

Photo: Ju Blasina