Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a diabetes that first occurs or is detected during pregnancy. It is treatable and early detection and appropriate treatment can significantly reduce the risk for mother and child.

There is an increased risk for the mother with regard to:

• Urinary tract infections
• high blood pressure
• pre-eclampsia/eclampsia
• Birth complications (increased caesarean section rate)
• Development of manifest diabetes after many years

There is an increased risk for the child:

• Overweight but immature newborns (macrosomia)
• Increased formation of amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios) and premature birth
• Intrauterine fetal death
• Birth complications
• Hypoglycemia after birth
• Respiratory distress syndrome
• Diabetes and obesity already during puberty

All pregnant women can develop gestational diabetes, but it is particularly common in

• overweight pregnant women
• late-term mothers
• Patients with gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy
• Patients who have already given birth to an overweight child (over 4500 g)
• Patients with a family history of diabetes
• Condition after stillbirth
• Habitual tendency to miscarry (more than 3 miscarriages in a row)

Gestational diabetes can only be ruled out by means of a sugar load test (oral glucose tolerance test, OGtt). This should be carried out in the 24th - 28th week of pregnancy. The statutory health insurance companies cover the costs for the simple OGtt (not fasting, 50 grams of glucose). However, we recommend the more precise OGtt test (fasting, 75 grams of glucose). This is only covered by statutory health insurance if the initial results are abnormal. You are welcome to take this safer test at any time on a GOÄ fee basis. This test is carried out in the morning when the patient is fasting (without eating or drinking for approx. 10 hours) over a period of approx. 2 hours in our practice.

If gestational diabetes is diagnosed, further diagnostics would be carried out in collaboration with a diabetologist and appropriate treatment (e.g. change of diet, regular blood glucose tests, possibly adjustment to insulin) would begin.

If you have any questions, please contact our team at the gynaecological practice at Marienplatz.