When can gestational diabetes be cured?

Written by Luo Han Ying
Endocrinology
Updated on April 16, 2025
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Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is somewhat unique. People in this category usually have normal blood glucose levels before pregnancy. However, between the 24th to 28th week of pregnancy, an oral glucose tolerance test is conducted, and if high blood glucose levels are detected, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes is made. For such patients, it is generally recommended to conduct another oral glucose tolerance test 6-8 weeks postpartum. If the results are normal at this time, it indicates that the patient does not have diabetes. However, a very small proportion of individuals may still exhibit high blood glucose levels after the 6-8 week postpartum re-examination. In such cases, continued treatment for diabetes might be necessary.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Should pregnant women with gestational diabetes drink whole milk or skim milk?

If a pregnant woman has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, she needs to be very careful about her diet. Whether to drink full-fat or skim milk during pregnancy depends on the individual's caloric needs. Considering the different amounts of calories produced by fats and proteins, skim milk generally has lower calories. Therefore, a pregnant woman with gestational diabetes can drink skim milk, but she should also be cautious about the total amount of milk consumed. She should not drink too much at once or consume milk excessively, because both full-fat and skim milk can lead to a significant increase in blood sugar levels.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Can you eat sweet potatoes if you have gestational diabetes?

The overall principle of dietary control for gestational diabetes is to manage the total calorie intake by eating smaller, more frequent meals, dividing the day into five to six meals. This helps not only in controlling blood sugar levels but also reduces the occurrence of hypoglycemia. For patients with gestational diabetes, foods that quickly raise blood sugar, as well as those high in sugar content, starch, and fat, should be limited as these can easily convert into glucose, leading to an increased blood sugar level. Sweet potatoes, which are available in many varieties on the market, some with higher sugar content and some with lower, should be considered accordingly. Those with higher sugar content should ideally be avoided to prevent excessively high blood sugar levels, while those with lower sugar content can still be consumed. However, when eating sweet potatoes, they should be treated as a staple food, and the amount of other staple foods should be reduced accordingly to maintain good control of blood sugar levels.

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Written by Tang Zhuo
Endocrinology
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Harms of Gestational Diabetes

What is gestational diabetes? Gestational diabetes is a condition of varying degrees of high blood sugar that occurs or is first identified during pregnancy, including impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes that were not identified before pregnancy. Gestational diabetes can endanger the health of both the fetus and the mother. The impacts on offspring mainly include an increased risk of fetal mortality in the womb, i.e., an increased risk of complications from congenital abnormalities, an increased risk of macrosomia, and an increased risk of neonatal hypoglycemia and developing diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance during adolescence or young adulthood.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Steps for Gestational Diabetes Testing

The screening steps for gestational diabetes involve, for most women, the recommendation to undergo a 75-gram glucose tolerance test at the hospital between 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. The method includes fasting blood draw, consuming 75 grams of glucose, and monitoring blood sugar levels one hour and two hours after glucose intake, to determine the presence of gestational diabetes. However, for pregnant women at high risk for diabetes, it is recommended to complete the 75-gram glucose tolerance test early in pregnancy to detect gestational diabetes early and initiate treatment promptly to reduce the risks to both the fetus and the mother.

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Written by Chen Xie
Endocrinology
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Exercise for Gestational Diabetes

Exercise can increase insulin sensitivity and can lower blood sugar independently of insulin. Therefore, patients with gestational diabetes can also exercise appropriately, which is beneficial for the utilization of blood sugar and helps lower it. The exercise for gestational diabetes generally involves regular, rhythmic aerobic exercises, which can include upper body exercises, gymnastics, and previously mentioned activities. The duration of exercise should generally be around 20-30 minutes, and it is advisable to exercise about one hour after meals. The frequency of exercise should be three to five times per week. During exercise, the heart rate should not exceed 120 beats per minute to avoid intense physical activity.