EBB 59 - Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes

In this episode, we discuss the evidence on diagnosing gestational diabetes, and the use of the Glucola test. Evidence Based Birth just released a new Signature Article on this topic, and it is a subject that people are always wanting to know more about.  Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy. In a normal pregnancy, your hormones can make it harder for your body to use insulin. That means you might need up to three times more insulin to overcome the increased resistance, but your body’s insulin response is sufficient to cover this. However, with gestational diabetes there is either too much insulin resistance, or too little insulin response, or a combination of both. Glucose builds up in the blood until it reaches abnormally high levels, called hyperglycemia. It’s those high blood sugar levels that can cause problems for mothers and babies.  Listen as we cover all the latest research, and clarify the terms “screening” and “diagnosis”. We also discuss the oral glucose tolerance test for diagnosing gestational diabetes, and the 50-gram Glucola - an oral glucose drink used for screening.

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RESOURCES: Find the EBB Signature Article, The Evidence on Diagnosing Gestational Diabetes here.