Gestational diabetes is glucose intolerance that has its onset during pregnancy or that starts during pregnancy (Kyle & Ricci, 2009, p.589). Most patients have no diagnosis of diabetes mellitus before this. Diabetes can be classified into two different groups during pregnancy, pregestational diabetes which is inability to breakdown carbohydrate before pregnancy in women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes; and gestational diabetes which is acquired during pregnancy (Kyle & Ricci, 2009, p.589). Normal blood glucose level is between 60mg/dL and 120 mg/dL and patients diagnosed with gestational diabetes exhibit blood glucose level above these range in pregnancy. Ratner (2007) defined gestational diabetes as a 3h 100g oral glucose tolerance that has glucose values exceeding 2 SDs above the mean on two of the four values by a pregnant woman (S242).
In gestational diabetes, there is a resistance or deficiency to insulin and the body is unable to get appropriate nutrient. This affects the growing fetus from getting the appropriate nutrient which affects the growth and development of the growing baby in utero (Kyle & Ricci, 2009, p. 590).
Maternal metabolism is directed toward supplying adequate nutrition for the fetus. During pregnancy, placental hormones cause insulin resistance at a level that tends to parallel the growth of the fetoplacental unit. As the placenta grows, more placental hormones are secreted. Human placental lactogen (hPL) and growth hormone (somatotropin) increase in direct correlation with the growth of placental tissue, increasing throughout the last 20 weeks of pregnancy and causing insulin resistance. Subsequently, insulin secretion increases to overcome the resistance of these two hormones. In the nondiabetic pregnant woman, the pancreas can respond to the demands for increased insulin production to maintain normal glucose levels throughout the pregnancy. However, the woman with glucose intolerance or diabetes during pregnancy cannot cope...