Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsGestation Diabetes SignsHow GD Causes StillbirthPreventionCoping With a StillbirthFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Gestation Diabetes Signs
How GD Causes Stillbirth
Prevention
Coping With a Stillbirth
Frequently Asked Questions
Stillbirth, or the loss of a pregnancy at 20 weeks of gestation or after, is a rare complication ofgestational diabetes(GD). Gestational diabetes is when blood sugar levels rise during pregnancy in a person who did not have diabetes before pregnancy.
When stillbirth occurs in a person with gestational diabetes, it is typically in cases where GD was not diagnosed during pregnancy and thus was not able to be monitored or managed. Reasons for stillbirth are not well understood, but a variety of factors may be involved.
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Signs of Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects up to 10% of pregnancies in the United States each year.GD has few early signs or symptoms. You may be a little thirstier than you usually are or urinate more. Both of these symptoms are common inpregnancy, so you might not think these are due to another condition.
This is why every pregnant person getsscreened for GDabout halfway through pregnancy. The aim is to diagnose GD as early as possible so it can be monitored and managed.
How Diabetes Causes Stillbirth
The exact reason for the association between GD and stillbirth is not fully known, but there are a variety of factors involved that might be associated with it.
GD can causemacrosomia, a condition where the fetus is much larger than it’s typically supposed to be. It often happens because the excess sugar from the pregnant person’s blood causes the fetus’s pancreas to make moreinsulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Increased insulin causes more fat to grow in the developing fetus.This can cause complications that might lead to stillbirth.
Poor Circulation
Poor blood circulation can also lead to reduced growth of the fetus in the uterus, which can then lead to stillbirth.Good circulation is important for the fetus to get oxygen and nutrients. Without adequate circulation, the fetus cannot survive.
Effects on the Development of the Placenta
Gestational diabetes is associated with changes in the placenta, the temporary organ that allows nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange between the pregnant person and the fetus.Placental insufficiencymay result, with the fetus not getting adequate nutrients and oxygen.This can lead to stillbirth.
High Blood Pressure
GD can increase the pregnant person’s risk forhigh blood pressureandpreeclampsia(a condition of high blood pressure and high protein levels in the urine), both of which are risk factors for stillbirth.
If GD is uncontrolled or not monitored, signs of high blood pressure may be missed, leading to stillbirth.
Damaged Blood Vessels
If blood vessels are damaged because of poor circulation or high blood pressure, this can affect the growth and health of the fetus and possibly lead to a stillbirth.
While it may not always be possible to prevent stillbirth in someone with GD, there are things that can be done to help reduce the risk.
To help keep your GD under control, they will talk with you about how to monitor your blood sugar, the range in which your numbers should be, and ways to help manage your blood sugar. This might involve changes to your diet or activity level as well as medication like insulin.
Stillbirth and infant death are some of the most stressful experiences a person can endure.People do not always know what to say or how to support parents in a late-pregnancy loss. There may be misconceptions about the intensity of the grief parents often feel.
It is important to feel what you need to feel, be gentle with yourself, and get the support you need.
The grieving process takes time and is rarely straightforward, and that’s OK. Finding ways to feel and express your grief can help you in your process. This can include:
Ask for help during this time, and allow others to help you. You’ve been through a lot emotionally and physically, and rest is important.
Help With GriefGrief can be complex to navigate. It can help to speak with a mental health specialist, therapist, or grief counselor.
Help With Grief
Grief can be complex to navigate. It can help to speak with a mental health specialist, therapist, or grief counselor.
Managing Grief After Losing a Child
Summary
Because there may be no overt signs of gestational diabetes, every pregnant person is screened for it about halfway through pregnancy. This helps to diagnose GD as early as possible and allows healthcare providers to work with pregnant people to manage and monitor their blood sugar.
A Word From Verywell
Experiencing stillbirth is a stressful life event, no matter the reason. Grief does not follow a straight line. Take your time mourning, healing, and feeling everything you need.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you are having trouble doing everyday tasks, finding yourself isolated more and more, or feeling hopeless. Grief is normal and healthy, butdepression that interfereswith functioning may require professional assistance.
Regular monitoring of blood sugar levels can help you be aware of how well your GD is being controlled and make any necessary changes to your diet or activity level. If you are on medication, it can also let your healthcare provider know whether the medication needs to be adjusted.
Learn MoreGestational Diabetes Treatment
The most common symptom of a stillbirth is not feeling any movement from the fetus. There may also be cramping or vaginal bleeding.If you are experiencing these, call your healthcare provider for an appointment immediately.Once you are in the office, they will do an ultrasound to see if the fetus has a heartbeat. In a stillbirth, the heart will not be beating anymore.Learn MoreUltrasound During Pregnancy
The most common symptom of a stillbirth is not feeling any movement from the fetus. There may also be cramping or vaginal bleeding.If you are experiencing these, call your healthcare provider for an appointment immediately.Once you are in the office, they will do an ultrasound to see if the fetus has a heartbeat. In a stillbirth, the heart will not be beating anymore.
The most common symptom of a stillbirth is not feeling any movement from the fetus. There may also be cramping or vaginal bleeding.If you are experiencing these, call your healthcare provider for an appointment immediately.
Once you are in the office, they will do an ultrasound to see if the fetus has a heartbeat. In a stillbirth, the heart will not be beating anymore.
Learn MoreUltrasound During Pregnancy
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gestational diabetes.Stanford Medicine.Diabetes during pregnancy.Byford A, Baird-Rayner C, Forbes K.Don’t sugar coat it: the effects of gestational diabetes on the placental vasculature.The Biochemist. 2021;43(2):34-39. doi:10.1042/bio_2021_117Tabatabaee HR, Zahedi A, Etemad K et al.Risk of stillbirth in women with gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.Iran J Public Health. 2020;49(4):773-781.March of Dimes.Gestational diabetes.Camacho Avila M, Fernandez Medina IM, Jimenez-Lopez FR et al.Parents' experiences about support following stillbirth and neonatal death.Advances in Neonatal Care.2020;20(2):151-160. doi:10.1097/ANC.0000000000000703Mackin ST, Nelson SM, Wild SH, et al.Factors associated with stillbirth in women with diabetes.Diabetologia. 2019;62(10):1938-1947. doi:10.1007/s00125-019-4943-9March of Dimes.Miscarriage, loss and grief.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gestational diabetes.Stanford Medicine.Diabetes during pregnancy.Byford A, Baird-Rayner C, Forbes K.Don’t sugar coat it: the effects of gestational diabetes on the placental vasculature.The Biochemist. 2021;43(2):34-39. doi:10.1042/bio_2021_117Tabatabaee HR, Zahedi A, Etemad K et al.Risk of stillbirth in women with gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.Iran J Public Health. 2020;49(4):773-781.March of Dimes.Gestational diabetes.Camacho Avila M, Fernandez Medina IM, Jimenez-Lopez FR et al.Parents' experiences about support following stillbirth and neonatal death.Advances in Neonatal Care.2020;20(2):151-160. doi:10.1097/ANC.0000000000000703Mackin ST, Nelson SM, Wild SH, et al.Factors associated with stillbirth in women with diabetes.Diabetologia. 2019;62(10):1938-1947. doi:10.1007/s00125-019-4943-9March of Dimes.Miscarriage, loss and grief.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gestational diabetes.Stanford Medicine.Diabetes during pregnancy.Byford A, Baird-Rayner C, Forbes K.Don’t sugar coat it: the effects of gestational diabetes on the placental vasculature.The Biochemist. 2021;43(2):34-39. doi:10.1042/bio_2021_117Tabatabaee HR, Zahedi A, Etemad K et al.Risk of stillbirth in women with gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.Iran J Public Health. 2020;49(4):773-781.March of Dimes.Gestational diabetes.Camacho Avila M, Fernandez Medina IM, Jimenez-Lopez FR et al.Parents' experiences about support following stillbirth and neonatal death.Advances in Neonatal Care.2020;20(2):151-160. doi:10.1097/ANC.0000000000000703Mackin ST, Nelson SM, Wild SH, et al.Factors associated with stillbirth in women with diabetes.Diabetologia. 2019;62(10):1938-1947. doi:10.1007/s00125-019-4943-9March of Dimes.Miscarriage, loss and grief.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Gestational diabetes.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gestational diabetes.
Stanford Medicine.Diabetes during pregnancy.
Byford A, Baird-Rayner C, Forbes K.Don’t sugar coat it: the effects of gestational diabetes on the placental vasculature.The Biochemist. 2021;43(2):34-39. doi:10.1042/bio_2021_117
Tabatabaee HR, Zahedi A, Etemad K et al.Risk of stillbirth in women with gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.Iran J Public Health. 2020;49(4):773-781.
March of Dimes.Gestational diabetes.
Camacho Avila M, Fernandez Medina IM, Jimenez-Lopez FR et al.Parents' experiences about support following stillbirth and neonatal death.Advances in Neonatal Care.2020;20(2):151-160. doi:10.1097/ANC.0000000000000703
Mackin ST, Nelson SM, Wild SH, et al.Factors associated with stillbirth in women with diabetes.Diabetologia. 2019;62(10):1938-1947. doi:10.1007/s00125-019-4943-9
March of Dimes.Miscarriage, loss and grief.
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