Gestational Diabetes Causes

Gestational Diabetes
Causes

Gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal changes during pregnancy. Increased levels of hormones produced by the placenta (the organ that connects mother and fetus through the umbilical cord and used to exchange nutrients) obstructed the amount of insulin to control blood glucose. This condition is called "insulin resistance".


As the pregnancy progresses, the placenta grows and produces a larger amount of hormones, causing an increased insulin resistance.
Normally, the pancreas produces more insulin pregnant (three times the normal amount) to overcome insulin resistance.


If the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to cancel the effect of increasing the amount of hormones produced during pregnancy, blood sugar levels rise, causing gestational diabetes.