Gestational diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders during pregnancy. The affected expectant mothers experience temporarily elevated blood sugar levels. These develop during pregnancy and normalise again after delivery. However, the mother then has an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes permanently in the course of her life. And her risk of a heart attack or stroke later in life is also significantly increased. Almost 760,000 children were born in Germany in 2020. Around 56,200 of the pregnant women were affected by Gestational diabetes affected. Unfortunately, the trend is rising. Women who start pregnancy at an older age and with a higher body weight are more at risk of this pregnancy-related metabolic disorder. Endometriosis also increases the risk of developing gestational diabetes.
Illnesses that occur under the stress of pregnancy are an early indication for women to positively influence these health risks by adapting their lifestyle.
This includes a healthy diet, sufficient exercise and regular medical check-ups after the pregnancy.
However, according to the "Federal evaluation of perinatal medicine: Obstetrics" of the Institute for Quality Assurance and Transparency in Healthcare (IQTIG), only a good 38% of the women affected made use of the programme.
TIP: If you have had gestational diabetes, you should make sure that you regularly undergo a medical check-up - especially with regard to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases! With this follow-up care, you can ensure early detection if necessary.
