Gestational diabetes also known as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), is a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose (blood sugar) levels during pregnancy (especially during their third trimester). Gestational diabetes is caused by improper insulin responses. This is likely due to pregnancy-related factors such as the presence of human placental lactogen that interferes with susceptible insulin receptors, which in turn causes inappropriately elevated blood sugar levels. Gestational diabetes affects 3–10% of pregnancies, depending on the population studied. Typically gestational diabetes will disappear after the baby is born. As with diabetes mellitus in pregnancy in general, babies born to mothers with untreated gestational diabetes are typically at increased risk of problems such as being large for gestational age, which may lead to delivery complications, low blood sugar, and jaundice. If untreated, it can also cause seizures or stillbirth. Gestational diabetes is a treatable condition and women who have adequate control of glucose levels can effectively decrease these risks.
In the present book, fourteen typical literatures about gestational diabetes published on international authoritative journals were selected to introduce the worldwide newest progress, which contains reviews or original researches on medical science, hemadenology, gynecology ect. We hope this book can demonstrate advances in gestational diabetes as well as give references to the researchers, students and other related people.