Home Health Center Gestational Diabetes   Gestational Diabetes - Causes

Causes of Gestational Diabetes



One of the main causes of gestational diabetes is hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy. During pregnancy, certain hormonal changes in the placenta interfere with the production of insulin in the pregnant woman’s body and its ability to manage glucose levels. This is also known as insulin resistance. This insulin resistance only increases with the progressing pregnancy. In addition to hormonal changes, there are also a few risk factors that increase the chances of a pregnant woman developing gestational diabetes. Some of the common risk factors of gestational diabetes include:

  • Age: Women who are over the age of 25 years are more at risk to developing gestational diabetes as compared to younger women.
  • Family History: If a close family member such as a parent or sibling has type-2 diabetes, the pregnant woman is at risk of developing gestational diabetes.

The risk of gestational diabetes is also higher if the pregnant woman has a history of diabetes. Furthermore, women who have a history of stillbirth or have given birth to heavy babies in the past are also risk of gestational diabetes.

  • Obesity: Pregnant women are more likely to develop gestational diabetes if they are overweight with a BMI higher than 30. Babies born to obese mothers are also at risk.
  • Ethnicity: Studies show that Hispanic, African, Asian, or American Indian women are more prone to developing gestational diabetes as compared to women of other races.

Gestational Diabetes
Signs & Symptoms
References
  1. Nian Wang, DeLing Zhang, XianQing Mao, Feng Zou, Huan Jin, JingPing Ouyang, Astragalus polysaccharides decreased the expression of PTP1B through relieving ER stress induced activation of ATF6 in a rat model of type 2 diabetes, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Volume 307, Issues 1–2, 13 August 2009, Pages 89-98, ISSN 0303-7207, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2009.03.001.
  2. Ajaya K. Shetty, Paramahans V. Salimath, Reno-protective effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum greacum) during experimental diabetes, e-SPEN, the European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Volume 4, Issue 3, June 2009, Pages e137-e142, ISSN 1751-4991, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eclnm.2009.02.002.