Kelly Osbourne, daughter of Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne, was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes late in her pregnancy — and now she says the disease can be diagnosed later in the pregnancy process. We are raising awareness.
“First of all, gestational diabetes is not your fault,” the 37-year-old TV personality said of the condition in an interview with People.
“At first I thought it was me doing it,” she added.
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“I was only diagnosed in the second trimester of my pregnancy, so it wasn’t me who developed it, as some people develop it from the beginning during pregnancy.”
Here we delve deeper into medical issues.
What is gestational diabetes?
Gestational diabetes is a specific type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the condition affects approximately 10% of pregnant women in the United States each year.
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According to the CDC, it usually begins around the 24th week of pregnancy, so high blood sugar levels in a woman in the first trimester of pregnancy may indicate type 1 or type 2 diabetes rather than gestational diabetes.
Gestational diabetes usually goes away after giving birth, but not always.
How does gestational diabetes start?
The pancreas produces a hormone called insulin, which “acts like the key to getting blood sugar into the body’s cells for use as energy,” the CDC says on its website.
However, insulin may not work well during pregnancy.
This makes the body need the hormone more in a condition called insulin resistance.
This condition can also be caused by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin during pregnancy.
“All pregnant women exhibit some form of insulin resistance in the third trimester of pregnancy,” notes the CDC.
However, there is a subset of women who have insulin resistance before pregnancy.
According to the CDC, these women start their pregnancy with an increased need for insulin, making them more susceptible to gestational diabetes.
The condition can also be caused by the body’s inability to produce enough insulin during pregnancy, the ADA added.
Without enough insulin, the body’s blood sugar stays in the bloodstream and eventually builds up in the blood in a condition called hyperglycemia.
What are the symptoms?
According to the CDC, typical symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination and excessive fluids, especially at night, thirst, and numbness in the hands and feet.
According to People, Osbourne was complaining of rapid weight gain, unusual fatigue and swollen ankles.
However, gestational diabetes usually has no symptoms.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), all women should be screened for the condition during pregnancy, often between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy, although mothers are at risk for the condition. If you have the factor, you should get screened sooner.
What is a glucose screening test?
Initial screening for gestational diabetes may include a glucose screening test that measures blood sugar levels in real time. The patient is then instructed to drink a liquid containing glucose and is retested after 1 hour.
A normal blood sugar level is 140 mg/dL or less. However, according to the CDC, levels above 140 mg/dL will require another test known as a glucose tolerance test.
What is a glucose tolerance test?
A glucose tolerance test is when a patient first measures their fasting blood sugar. Therefore, patients are instructed to fast the night before the test.
Patients drink the liquid the next morning and blood glucose levels are measured 1, 2, and sometimes 3 hours later.
Results will vary depending on the size of the glucose drink and how often you test your blood sugar.
“Although about 50% of women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes, there are steps you can take to prevent it,” says the CDC.
What effect does it have on the baby?
Gestational diabetes affects the mother after the baby’s body is formed, so it doesn’t cause the birth defects sometimes seen in mothers with diabetes before pregnancy, according to the ADA.
However, the baby can be affected by elevated blood sugar levels in the mother.
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Insulin does not cross the placenta, but glucose does, resulting in high blood sugar levels in the baby.
A baby’s pancreas responds by “working overtime” to produce more insulin and lower high blood sugar levels, according to the ADA.
Excess sugar levels can cause babies to have more energy than they need, so a baby’s body can react by storing excess energy as fat, resulting in macrosomia or a “fat” baby.
How is gestational diabetes treated?
According to the ACOG, women need more frequent prenatal care visits and track their blood status more frequently.
For many people, a healthier diet and regular exercise help control blood sugar levels, but some women may need medication to reach normal blood sugar levels. , added ACOG.
According to People, Osborne worked on reducing the amount of sugar in his diet and monitoring his carbohydrate intake.
She also told the press that she no longer needed to wear compression socks after cutting sugar from her diet.
Eating too much sugar is bad for you
Osborne has partnered with the No Sugar Company to launch a new international holiday called “No Sugar Day” on October 3rd.
According to the company’s website, the average adult consumes two to three times the recommended amount of sugar per day, and the average child consumes eight times the recommended amount.
“The health effects of refined sugar can be long-lasting and harmful,” the website added.
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“But that hasn’t stopped the food industry from stuffing products with refined sugar,” the company said.
“Together we can raise awareness about the refined sugar problem in North America. It’s time to speak up. It’s time to make a difference.”