Gestational Diabetes
Cause
During pregnancy, an organ called the placenta develops in the uterus. The placenta connects the mother and baby and makes sure the baby has enough food and water. It also makes several hormones. Some of these hormones make it hard for insulin to do its job—controlling blood sugar—so the mother's body has to make more insulin to keep sugar levels in an acceptable range. Gestational diabetes develops when the organ that makes insulin, the pancreas, cannot make enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels within an acceptable range.
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| Author: | Alison Allen Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS | Last Updated: February 12, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Lois Jovanovic, MD - Endocrinology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine | |
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