Induced hyperglycemia – Gestational diabetes test
WHAT IS GESTATIONAL DIABETES?
It is defined by an increase in blood sugar, most of the time during the second trimester of the pregnancy.
In most cases, gestational diabetes disappears after childbirth. However, in some cases, the mother could develop type 2 diabetes in the following years.
The cause of gestational diabetes is the result of hormonal changes experienced during pregnancy: hormones in the placenta interfere with the action of the pancreas. It cannot secrete enough insulin, which leads to hyperglycemia.
Insulin has the role of allowing glucose to enter and thus nourish our cells. Without insulin, a hormone generally secreted naturally by the pancreas, glucose accumulates in the blood stream and thus causes hyperglycemia.
