Gestational diabetes and implementation Orem self-care model Research Paper

Gestational diabetes and implementation Orem self-care model - Research Paper Example Insulin resistance in pregnant women is an adaptive change that ensures delivery of glucose from the mother’s system to the fetus. According to Wada et al. (2010), placental hormones, such as placental growth hormone and progesterone, increases the activity of p85 in the 3T3-L1 found in adipose cells; and inactivates the second messenger system responsible for insulin response. Unhealthy eating habits, such as too much sugar in the diet, can cause glucose to accumulate in the mother’s blood; and prolong its clearance from the system eventually leading to gestational diabetes. The complications associated with GDM include: preeclampsia--blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg and protein in the urine; preterm labor; and increased risk of infection. GDM effects on the baby include: macrosomia (birth weight of 4000 to 4500 g); neonatal hypoglycemia; jaundice; calcium or magnesium imbalance; and stillbirth. Health Issue â€Å"Each year, nearly 135,000 American women develop type 2 diabetes while they are pregnant...even though their blood sugar levels were normal before pregnancy† (Metzger, 2006, p. 243). ... The complications associated with gestational diabetes can jeopardize the health of the mother and the fetus; and can lead to death. Macrosomic infants are predisposed to shoulder dislocation and suffocation while the probability that the mother will have to undergo emergency caesarean section is increased (Vidarsdottir, Geirsson, Hardardottir, Valdimarsdottir, & Daqbjartsson, 2011). According to Ekabua et al. (2005), perinatal mortality rate is highest in infants weighing 4.0 to 4.4 kg (4000 to 4400 g), as well as in macrosomic babies delivered via caesarean section. Cause of death includes obstructed labor, which cut-off the oxygen supply to the fetus and ruptured uterus that cause the mother to hemorrhage as well as cut-off the oxygen supply to the fetus (Ekabua et al., 2005). According to Thadhani (2009), gestational diabetes and preeclampsia are linked to a high incidence and a high death rate during pregnancy and increases the woman’s predisposition to develop diabetes a nd cardiovascular diseases after pregnancy. Planned Intervention Prenatal care ensures that the pregnant woman and the fetus are healthy for the entire duration of the pregnancy. Prenatal care allows the obstetrician to detect early signs of pregnancy-induced complications, especially gestational diabetes and prevent it from causing untoward effects to the mother, as well as the fetus. Due to the increasing incidence of gestational diabetes, Leu and Zonszein (2010) suggests that early screening of all pregnant women, unless categorized under the low risk group, should be employed by health care providers. Glucose tolerance test should be administered between the 24th and 28th weeks of pregnancy, or earlier if gestational diabetes has occurred in past