What Are Some Complications of Gestational Diabetes?
Since insulin resistance generally does not develop until the 24th week of pregnancy, birth defects are not a common complication of gestational diabetes, since they generally occur during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. Labor and delivery are generally not affected by gestational diabetes. However, if the baby has grown too large, a cesarean delivery may be necessary. Careful control of blood sugar levels remains important during labor so the baby doesn’t develop a high insulin level as a result of a high blood sugar level in the mother. If this happens, the baby’s blood sugar can drop very low after birth, since it won’t be receiving the high blood sugar from the mother.
