MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT GESTATIONAL DIABETES
MYTH
Gestational Diabetes is mainly caused by eating sweets and sugar. 2,3
FACT
Gestational diabetes is likely to occur due to the following factors: 2,3
- Being overweight before pregnancy
- Weight increased quickly during pregnancy
- Age is more than 25 years
These are the factors that can increase your risk of gestational diabetes.
MYTH
Women with diabetes, can be risky to the baby. 4
FACT
With good control of sugars, there is no difference between the pregnancy survival rate for women with and without diabetes. The most important aspect of gestational diabetes is to achieve good blood sugar control throughout the pregnancy. However, poor sugar control can harm you and your baby. 4
MYTH
Gestational diabetes is not a serious disease. 5
FACT
Diabetes alone is responsible for an increased number of deaths when compared with breast cancer or AIDS. Therefore, proper treatment and care is essential to monitor and control the blood sugar level during pregnancy. 5
MYTH
A pregnant woman will have to take insulin if she is diagnosed with gestational diabetes. 6
FACT
Many pregnant women with gestational diabetes successfully manage to lower and stabilize their blood sugar levels with diet and exercise alone under the supervision of their doctor. However, if the blood sugar levels continue to be on the higher side, the doctor may start with Insulin .