Gestational diabetes is usually a result of a condition called insulin resistance. If the expectant mother's body is unable to make more insulin, her blood sugar will rise, resulting in gestational diabetes mellitus. Annually, about three to five percent of all pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus.
Any woman can develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
Since the baby is not diabetic, its pancreas is making increased amounts of insulin, which leads to its body taking in large amounts of sugar from the mother's blood. This results in the baby growing very large. Following delivery, the baby may develop a serious problem regulating its blood sugar, leading to a condition called hypoglycemia. Other complications may include respiratory problems, jaundice, and being less alert at birth. Today, all pregnant women are screened for gestational diabetes around their twenty-eighth week.