The medical name of diabetes in pregnancy is gestational diabetes and it occurs in an estimated 2 to 3 percent if pregnancies. It is caused by the hormone that makes a pregnancy test positive, human chronic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone is secreted by the placenta and has a vital function to the pregnancy; it weakens the biological effect of insulin. Insulin aids the cells of the body in the uptake of sugar from the blood steam. Insulin is the hormone that diabetics lack, and this is why they have too much sugar in their blood. HCG, by weakening the pregnant woman's insulin, allows the baby access to more nutrition for growth and development.

Unfortunately, this mechanism by increasing sugar in the blood, tips some women over the edge into a state of mild diabetes. If the sugar in the blood remains too high for too long, the baby gets too much nutrition and he gets too fat. At term, these babies can weigh 10, 11 and even 12 pounds! These babies are more likely to require a cesarean section and they have an increased risk of birth injuries.

Once they are born, they have more body mass than they can manage. They have trouble maintaining their body temperature, their sugar level after birth is often low, they have difficulty regulating their blood salts such as calcium, and they frequently require IVs and longer hospital stays. These babies may also have a tendency toward obesity when they get older. This is because a greater number of fat cells may be created in these children as they develop in the womb.

The way we avoid these complications is to test all women at about six months. This is when the problem generally will appear. They are given a sweet liquid with a measured amount of sugar in it. Their blood sugar is then checked after an hour. If this result is elevated, a three-hour test is then required to make the definitive diagnosis. If the problem is found, the patient is then put on a special diet to prevent high levels of sugar in their blood.

Occasionally, some women will also require insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels. But this is pretty uncommon. This problem does tend to recur in subsequent pregnancies, but not always. Typically, the sugar test is done earlier if you suspect the problem may be on the horizon. The long-term risk of this problem is that about a quarter of women who are gestational diabetics will eventually become adult diabetics. Therefore, women who have had this problem would be wise to avoid obesity and have blood sugar testing done on a regular basis when they get in their 40s.