- Gestational diabetes Mellitis (GDM) is a condition in which women without previously diagnosed diabetes exhibit high blood glucose levels during pregnancy. It affects about 3-10% of pregnancies.
- Diabetes is a condition which is characterised by high glucose levels in the blood. This may result due to insufficient production of the hormone insulin (which converts excess glucose in the blood into glycogen) or due to increased resistance of the body to insulin.
- Due to variety of hormonal changes during pregnancy, all women have some level of glucose intolerance which keeps their blood levels higher than normal, but not enough to have diabetes. During later stages however, these changes increase the woman’s susceptibility to diabetes.