Gestational Diabetes (cont.)
What Happens to My Baby After Delivery?
Your baby's blood glucose level will be tested immediately after birth.
If the blood glucose is low, he or she will be given sugar water to
drink or by an intravenous tube in the vein. Your baby may be sent to a
special care nursery for observation during the first few hours after
birth to make sure he or she doesn't have a low blood glucose reaction.
If you had gestational diabetes, there is an increased risk that your
newborn will develop jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow discoloration of the
skin that occurs when bilirubin is present in the baby's blood.
Bilirubin is a pigment that causes jaundice and is released when extra
red blood cells build up in the blood and can't be processed fast
enough. Jaundice goes away rapidly with treatment that sometimes
includes exposing your baby to special lights that get rid of the
pigment.
Will I Still Have Diabetes After I Deliver My Baby?
Usually, blood glucose levels return to normal about 6 weeks after
childbirth because the placenta, which was producing the extra hormones
that caused insulin resistance,
is delivered. Your doctor will check your blood glucose levels after your baby
is born to make sure your blood glucose level has returned to normal. Some
doctors recommend an oral glucose tolerance test 6-8 weeks after delivery to
check for diabetes.
You should also be screened for diabetes in the future. Women who have had
gestational diabetes have a 60% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
later-in-life. By maintaining an ideal body weight, following a healthy diet
and exercising, you will be able to reduce your risk of developing type 2
diabetes.
In addition, women who have gestational diabetes during one pregnancy have a
40%-50% chance of developing diabetes in the next pregnancy. If you had
gestational diabetes during one pregnancy and are planning to get pregnant
again, talk to your health care provider first so you can make the necessary
lifestyle changes before your next pregnancy.
Reviewed by Certified Diabetes Educators
in the Department of Patient Education and Health Information and by
physicians in the Department of Endocrinology at The Cleveland Clinic.
Edited by Brunilda Nazario, MD,
October 2004.
Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2005.
Last Editorial Review: 5/24/2005
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