How does eating too much affect glucose pregnancy test?

(June 15, 2010)

Glucose Pregnancy Test

During pregnancy some women are diagnosed with a type of diabetes called Gestational diabetes which is diabetes that is discovered in a woman for the first time after she becomes pregnant. Diabetes basically indicates that the blood sugar or blood glucose levels are too high. Typically, the body breaks down the glucose to derive energy from it, however too much of glucose affects the body adversely more so in case of women who are pregnant.

Gestational diabetes does not occur due to excessive sugar intake but mostly due to insulin intolerance. Many pregnant women have been diagnosed with high glucose levels via a glucose pregnancy test, on account of increased consumption of carbohydrate rich foods and refined sugars. The main problem associated with high glucose levels during pregnancy is that though the mother’s pancreas are able to dispose of the excess glucose, the baby’s pancreas are still underdeveloped and hence have to work even harder to get rid of the excess glucose. This will then result in the development of Hypoglycemia in the baby after it is born. Most women are advised to go for a one hour glucose test during pregnancy. Eating too much of sugar rich foods prior to the test will provide incorrect results and thereby a wrong diagnosis.

Glucose Pregnancy Test Results

In case the test results show a glucose reading of less than 140 then there is no need to worry however if the reading is higher than the mother is diagnosed as having gestational diabetes and is put on a special diet to control the level of glucose. Women who are already overweight before pregnancy or have a family history of diabetes are at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes. Most women who are overweight and at a high risk are checked for gestational diabetes via glucose test during their first prenatal visit itself. Woman who are of an average weight and are at an average risk of developing gestational diabetes are usually administered the test anytime between weeks 24 and 28 of pregnancy. In case of a low risk the doctor may not advice glucose test. Before administering the glucose test the pregnant woman is asked not to consume any food and have only water for a minimum of 8 hours before the test. A random blood glucose test is one wherein the doctor checks the sugar levels at any time without any fasting before the test.

Submitted by P T on June 15, 2010 at 01:07