Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (diabetes) that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy.

Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

• African or Hispanic ancestry
• Being over age 25 when pregnant
• Birth defect in a previous child
• Obesity
• Giving birth to a previous baby who weighed more than 9 pounds
• Recurrent infections
• Unexplained miscarriage or death of a newborn

Usually there are no symptoms, or the symptoms are mild and not life threatening to the pregnant woman. Often, the blood glucose level returns to normal after delivery.

Symptoms may include:

• Blurred vision
• Fatigue
• Frequent infections, including those of the bladder, vagina, and skin
• Increased thirst
• Increased urination
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss in spite of increased appetite

However, high blood sugar levels in the mother can cause problems in the baby. These problems can include:

• Birth trauma
• Jaundice
• Large size at birth
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

Rarely, the fetus dies in the womb late in the pregnancy.

Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed during the 24th - 28th weeks of pregnancy. All pregnant women should receive an oral glucose tolerance test during this time period to screen for the condition.