According to latest studies, one of seven pregnant women have diabetes in urban India! The Diabetes In Pregnancy Study Group, India {DIPSI} recommends diabetic screening for all pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy.

During digestion, the body breaks down carbohydrates from foods like bread, chapatis, pasta, vegetables, fruits and dairy products, into various sugar molecules, one of them being glucose.Glucose is the main source of energy for all the cells in the body. It is directly absorbed into the blood after eating but it can't enter the cells without insulin. Insulin is produced by the Pancreas gland.The insulin "unlocks" the cells to sugar, which provides energy and helps maintain normal blood sugar.

During pregnancy, the placenta produces hormones to sustain the pregnancy. These hormones are anti-insulin. They make the cells resistant to insulin and therefore the blood sugar rises. Normally the pancreas responds by producing enough insulin to overcome this resistance. But sometimes the pancreas can't keep up. When this happens blood sugar rises and causes gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes usually occurs in the 2nd  and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy when there is an increase in placental hormones. Screening for gestational diabetes is a must for all pregnant women. It is usually recommended between 24 and 28 weeks and consists of a blood estimation of fasting blood sugar and again after 2 hours of a 75 gms glucose drink. This is called a 'Glucose Challenge Test'. 

The author is Head of Department of Gynaecology at Lilavati Hospital , Mumbai.