According to recent studies, almost forty percent of women who develop gestational diabetes would eventually develop Type 2 diabetes when they get older. Thus, it is recommended that women get screened for diabetes as they grow older.

Another long-term effect of gestational diabetes is the development of a larger than normal sized baby. This can require emergency cesarean section or low blood sugar levels for the infant newborn.

These two are the immediate effects of gestational diabetes. This is a condition where the mother develops during pregnancy issues regarding the production of insulin. Because of the increased hormonal activity, the woman does not produce insulin or the insulin produced is rejected by the body leading to the conditions discussed above.

There is a problem regarding this kind of diabetes. Medication cannot be taken by the mother to lower the blood sugar levels as this can lead to issues with the child's development. Nearly three to five percent of all pregnancies eventually develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy. This kind of diabetes is different from Type 1 diabetes, where it is a genetic condition where the body does not produce insulin or Type 2 diabetes where insulin resistance occurs because of diet and lack of exercise.

Gestational diabetes often presents itself halfway through a pregnancy or about the 20th to the 24th week. The insulin production is hampered by the increased hormonal activity during pregnancy. Most of the issues come from the development of the placenta for the baby that has a blocking effect on insulin absorption by the body. As the fetus grows, the placenta grows along with it and there is a consequent increase in insulin resistance. Many women are able to overcome this resistance through increased insulin production in the insulin. When there isn't enough insulin produced to negate the blocking effect of the placenta's hormones, gestational diabetes occurs.

When the baby is born, the effects of gestational diabetes clear up because the placenta is removed, thus the negating factors are removed from the body. This results in the body returning to insulin absorption capacity to normal. Because of the presentment of the condition, the mother becomes predisposed to develop the condition later in life. This risk though can be forestalled through compliance with an appropriate meal plan, regular monitoring of blood glucose levels, if needed, administering insulin injections in proper dosages and appropriate physical activity to burn off excess blood sugar from the body.