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Essay on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an intolerance of glucose documented for the first time during pregnancy. It is usually a short-term type of diabetes and the most common health problem with pregnant women. GBM is caused by the way the hormones in pregnancy affect the mother. GDM accounts for 5-7% of all pregnancies (American Diabetes Association, 2010). During pregnancy the placenta develops and becomes the main bond between the mother and the baby. It is used to make sure the baby has and gets enough nutrients. The placenta makes several hormones which make it hard for insulin to control blood glucose and block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body (American Diabetes Association, 2010). Hormonal changes during the …show more content…

This is also known as diabetes (Baby Center, 2011). Some of the most common signs and symptoms of diabetes are polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia. These symptoms cause a ripple effect and one causes another to happen. Polyuria is excessive urination that is very common in diabetes. This happens when excess sugar builds up in the blood, during which the kidneys work harder to filter and absorb the extra sugar that cannot be reabsorbed. This excess sugar is excreted in the urine along with large losses of water. This is also known as osmotic diuresis. This causes frequent urination and also can cause dehydration (Mayo Clinic, 2010). The dehydration then causes polydipsia, also known as excessive thirst. This is also caused by the increased level of blood glucose. This again, is caused when water is pulled from the cells and also from the large loss of water. When you lose sugar with polyuria you also lose calories which cause polyphagia. The body tents to hold on to the sugar and prevent it from reaching the cells which makes the body use fat stores and cellular protein for energy. This then leads to excessive hunger (Mayo Clinic, 2010). Other common symptoms can include glucosuria which happens when glucose is seen in the urine despite what the blood sugar may be. When there is too much glucose in the body the renal system cannot remove all the sugar.

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