6 Nursing Diagnosis related to Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that afflicts women during pregnancy. Being diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy presents risks for both mothers and their babies. In the case of gestational diabetes an individual's sugar level usually goes back to normal after delivery, nonetheless you will have a significantly greater potential risk of acquiring diabetes type 2 sometime in the future. Having gestational diabetes does not mean the baby will be born with diabetes; however, if gestational diabetes goes untreated or unmonitored, there is high risk for health complications for both mother and infant. This can result in the baby producing too much insulin in the womb and gaining too much weight, thereby, resulting in premature birth.

Published in the journal Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiolgoy in August 2013, included 128,295 pregnancies that took place between 2002 and 2008:

Gestational diabetes was diagnosed in 5,606 pregnancies
women with depression were 42 percent more likely to develop Gestational diabetes than women without depression.

Gestational Diabetes Symptoms

Normally diabetes is detected at the time of routine medical tests which are done during a pregnancy. Under rare circumstances, for example in case your blood sugar level has gone through the roof, chances are you may suffer with a few of the common symptoms of diabetes, for instance:
  • Persistently being thirsty
  • Urinating with greater regularity
  • Consistent hunger

Gestational diabetes is detected via a glucose tolerance test. If your doctor thinks you are at risk, you may be tested as early as 13 weeks into your pregnancy. Otherwise, it is usually taken around week 24 to week 28. The test is administered by drinking a glucose solution, and having blood drawn an hour later for blood sugar levels testing.


6 Nursing Diagnosis related to Gestational Diabetes

1. Risk for Imbalanced Nutrition: less than body requirements
related to:
  • inability to digest and use the nutrients are less precise.

2. Risk for injury: fetus
related to:
  • maternal glucose levels,
  • changes in the circulation.
3. Risk for injury: maternal
related to:
  • the inadequate diabetic control,
  • abnormal blood profile or anemia,
  • tissue hypoxia and changes in the general response.
4. Knowledge Deficit: about diabetic condition, prognosis and treatment measures need
related to:
  • lack of information,
  • misinformation and do not know the source of information.
5. Risk for trauma, fetal gas exchange
related to:
  • the inadequate maternal diabetic control,
  • makrosomnia or intra-uterine growth retardation.
6. Anxiety
related to:
  • critical or threatening situations on maternal or fetal health status.