Glucose tolerance test in pregnancy: what it do

Glucose tolerance test, or test glucose with a load - a laboratory test for the concentration of glucose in the blood. Monitoring this indicator reveals diabetes, and it is very important to stabilize the condition of the pregnant woman and the baby.

What happens to the glucose?

Glucose gets into our body with food rich in carbohydrates - sugar, bread, cereals. After eating, the level in the blood increases, which stimulates the production of insulin by the pancreas hormone which "conveys" glucose into the cells. In this case, the blood sugar level to normal.

However, for patients with diabetes the pancreas fails, and the level of sugar in the blood remains high. And this is nebezpechno. Fahivtsi recommend doing glucose tolerance test. But it is when a person has no tendency to diabetes.

If a family history of the disease, check the level of sugar in the blood is necessary, starting from 30 years. Regularity - three checks per year. In addition, the glucose test with a load to pass to those who have observed specific symptoms: dry mouth, thirst, frequent urination.

Can I just give blood sugar?

Routine blood test for sugar in the early stages of the disease and can not be found. The fact that our body have a certain margin of safety. Thanks to him, the pancreas if the problem even exists, is a long time to work at maximum, eliminating irregularities and maintaining the level of glucose in the norm. This phenomenon is called a compensatory function. But it will not last forever and sooner or later the body will fail.

Glucose tolerance test just helps to identify the problem in time.

Why glucose tolerance test to pregnant women?

Glucose tolerance test is prescribed to pregnant women in order to timely detect gestational diabetes. This disease, which is diagnosed only in pregnant women. They suffer about 14% of women. After pregnancy, gestational diabetes goes by without a trace.

Elevated blood sugar levels in expectant mothers due to the fact that the pancreas is now working not only on the mother's body, but also the unborn child. That is, the amount of insulin in the blood of pregnant increases. However, in some cases, hormone production is insufficient, consequently, increases the level of sugar in the blood of the expectant mother.

This condition is dangerous for pregnant women, because it can cause: an increase in the body weight of the fruit, making it difficult childbirth and often leads

• Birth injury to the newborn;
• miscarriage; deviations in the child's development;
• diabetic fetopathy newborn.

In this case, even if taken during pregnancy and childbirth all goes well, the child, whose mother was ill gestational diabetes, there is a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

1. Carrying glucose tolerance test is usually administered at 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, because it is from this time sugar level may begin to rise.
2. But there are exceptions - if the blood of the expectant mother found elevated levels of sugar in the biochemical analysis. In this case the test is carried out with 12 weeks.
3. The doctor can prescribe and control test - at 24-28 weeks.
4. After 32 weeks, the test is not carried out, as it can harm the baby.
5. Most often the test is prescribed for women who are at risk, but some doctors prescribe testing for all pregnant women - just in case.

Glucose tolerance test in pregnancy: why do his / istockphoto.com

Who is at risk?

Pregnant women who:

• overweight;
• the family has relatives with diabetes;
• have a history of gestational diabetes
• previous pregnancies ended childbirth overweight (more than 4 kg)
• the detection of sugar in urine and elevated his level - when a blood test,
• with polycystic ovaries,
• over the age of 35 years,
• during the first pregnancy over the age of 30 years.

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