Gestational diabetes develops when pregnancy-related hormonal changes make it harder for the body to use insulin effectively, a condition known as insulin resistance. As a result, blood sugar levels rise because the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to meet the body’s increased needs during pregnancy.
While the exact cause is not fully understood, factors such as excess weight, a family history of diabetes, and previous gestational diabetes can increase the risk of developing the condition.
If your provider did not meet the standard of medical care and your gestational diabetes harmed your newborn, an experienced birth injury lawyer can help you fight for compensation to make up for your financial losses and your baby’s future care. Our team at Birth Injury Lawyers Group has more than two decades of service under our belts, and we offer free case reviews.
The Cause of Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes develops because the body goes through major hormonal changes during pregnancy. These hormones help the baby grow, but they can also make it harder for the body to use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps move sugar from the bloodstream into the body’s cells, where it is used for energy.
When pregnancy hormones interfere with insulin’s ability to work properly, it is called insulin resistance. As insulin resistance increases, the body needs more insulin to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
For many pregnant women, the pancreas responds by producing extra insulin. However, in some cases, it cannot make enough insulin to meet the body’s increased needs. When this happens, blood sugar levels rise, leading to gestational diabetes. The team at Birth Injury Lawyers Group can explain the condition in more detail.
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Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes
While any pregnant person is at risk of experiencing gestational diabetes, some people are more likely than others to develop the condition. Some of the most common risk factors include:
- Being overweight or obese before pregnancy: Excess body weight can make it harder for the body to use insulin effectively, increasing the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Family history of diabetes: Having a parent or sibling with diabetes may increase your likelihood of developing gestational diabetes.
- Previous gestational diabetes: If you had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, you have a higher chance of developing it again.
- Previous baby with a high birth weight: Giving birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds in a previous pregnancy may indicate an increased risk.
- Age 25 or older: The risk of gestational diabetes generally increases with age, although it can develop during any pregnancy.
- Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS): PMOS is linked to insulin resistance and can increase the likelihood of gestational diabetes.
- Prediabetes: People with higher-than-normal blood sugar levels before pregnancy are at greater risk of developing gestational diabetes.
- Carrying twins or other multiples: Multiple pregnancies can cause greater hormonal changes, which may increase insulin resistance.
- Certain racial and ethnic backgrounds: People from some racial and ethnic groups have a higher risk of gestational diabetes because of a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Having one or more risk factors may lead your doctor to monitor your condition more closely throughout your pregnancy. Knowing your risk factors can help you take steps to manage your blood sugar if needed. At Birth Injury Lawyers Group, our birth injury attorneys will review whether your healthcare provider took the right actions to protect your and your baby’s health.
Can Gestational Diabetes Lead to Birth Injuries?
Gestational diabetes does not usually cause a birth injury by itself. However, if blood sugar levels are not properly controlled during pregnancy, the condition can increase the risk of complications that may affect labor, delivery, and the baby’s health.
One of the most common concerns is excessive fetal growth, also known as macrosomia. It can make vaginal delivery more difficult and increase the risk of birth injuries such as shoulder dystocia. If a baby is growing larger than expected or other complications develop, the healthcare team may recommend changes to the birth plan to reduce the risk of injury during delivery.
If a medical provider fails to properly diagnose or manage gestational diabetes and that failure leads to a birth injury, Birth Injury Lawyers Group will investigate whether medical negligence played a role.
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A Birth Injury Lawyer Can Help if Gestational Diabetes Was Improperly Managed
Our birth injury lawyer can investigate whether medical negligence contributed to your child’s condition. If mistakes in managing gestational diabetes played a role in causing harm, we can help your family understand your legal options.
At Birth Injury Lawyers Group, we have been serving families since 2003. Our birth injury attorneys have recovered more than $750 million for our clients, and we continue to win big cases. Call us today for a free initial consultation.
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