Gestational Diaebetes

Approximately 5 percent of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes. If this condition is left untreated, it can lead to problems for the mother and fetus. Gestational diabetes can cause babies to be born very large and can also cause them to have breathing problems. In the mother, gestational diabetes can increase the risk of high blood pressure and the risk of having a caesarean delivery (due to an increased risk of a large baby). Although gestational diabetes typically goes away after pregnancy, women who have this problem during pregnancy are at a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.