Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), Causes and Risks

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM)

• Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a condition where high blood sugar (glucose) develops during pregnancy, in a woman who was not previously diabetic.
• It is usually diagnosed between 24–28 weeks of pregnancy.

Cause

• During pregnancy, hormones from the placenta interfere with the mother’s insulin usage, leading to insulin resistance.
• When the body can’t produce enough insulin to manage this, blood sugar levels rise, causing GDM.

Risks

• Increases the chance of type 2 diabetes in the mother later in life.
• This leads to metabolic disorders in the child.

Delhi Declaration on Diabetes

• It provides a prevention strategy for GDM.
• It was unveiled at the 18th Annual DIPSI (Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India) Conference, which was held in March 2024.
• It advocates screening women at eight weeks of pregnancy for glucose intolerance.

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