Gestational diabetes: is when pregnant women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 diabetes.

How do I know if I have gestational diabetes?

Health care providers will test most women who have average risk for gestational diabetes when they are between 24-28 weeks pregnant.

If your risk is higher-than-average, your health care provider may test you earlier, possibly as soon as you know you are pregnant.

There are two approaches to testing for gestational diabetes:

• In the one-step approach, a woman will fast for 4 to 8 hours. Then a health care provider will measure her blood sugar and will do so again 2 hours after she drinks a sugar drink.  This type of test is called an oral glucose tolerance test.
• In the two-step approach, a health care provider measures a woman’s blood sugar 1 hour after drinking a sugar drink.  Women whose blood sugar is normal after 1 hour probably don’t have gestational diabetes.  Women whose blood sugar is high after 1 hour will then have an oral glucose tolerance test to see if they have gestational diabetes.

Will gestational diabetes affect the baby?

Most women who have gestational diabetes give birth to healthy babies, especially when they control their blood sugar, eat a healthy diet, exercise, and keep a healthy weight.

In some cases, though, gestational diabetes can affect the pregnancy and baby. Some potential risks include:

• The baby’s body is larger than normal—called macrosomia.  A large baby may need to be delivered by a surgical procedure called cesarean section, instead of naturally through the vagina.
• The baby’s blood sugar is too low—called hypoglycemia.  Starting to breastfeed right away can help get more glucose to the baby.  The baby may also need to get glucose through a tube into his or her blood.
• The baby’s skin turns yellowish and the whites of the eyes may change color—called jaundice.  This condition is easily treated and is not serious if treated.
• The baby may have trouble breathing and need oxygen or other help—called Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
• The baby may have low mineral levels in the blood.  This problem can causes muscle twitching or cramping, but can be treated by giving the baby extra minerals

source: wikipidia,http://www.nichd.nih.gov

Type 1 Diabetes Symptoms

TYPE 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults.It was previously known as juvenile diabetes. This type of diabetes is characterized by the loss of the insulin-producing pancreatic islets of langerhans which results in deficiency of the hormone insulin.In the  type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Symptoms of   type 1 diabetes include:

• Frequent urination (in children, a recurrence of bed-wetting after toilet training has been completed)
• Unusual thirst, especially for sweet, cold drinks
• Extreme hunger
• Sudden, sometimes dramatic, weight loss
• Weakness
• Extreme fatigue
• Blurred vision or other changes in eyesight
• Irritability
• Nausea and vomiting (acute symptoms)

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