Gestational diabetes and your child Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is developing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not lead to birth defects at times seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy. However, when untreated or poorly controlled, gestational diabetes can harm the baby. Although insulin does not cross the placenta to the baby, sugar and other nutrients do. The extra blood sugar passes through the placenta and the baby gets high blood sugar level.
Extra insulin is secreted inside the baby's body in order to get rid of the excess blood sugar.
Macrosomia develops because extra blood sugar and insulin leads the body to make extra fat. Babies with macrosomia face health problems, including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood sugar levels at birth and may also have a high risk of bronchial problems. Babies with excess insulin could later suffer from obesity and are at high risk for type 2 diabetes during adulthood. Since gestational diabetes can affect both the mother and the baby, one needs to start treatment as soon as it is diagnosed.