Complications
Women with GDM experience twice the number of urinary tract infections than women who do not have GDM. This increased infection incidence is thought to be due to the increased amount of glucose in the urine beyond the normal glucosuria that is present in pregnancy. There is also an increased risk of pyelonephritis, asymptomatic bacteriuria, and preeclampsia. There is a 10% risk of polyhydramnios that may increase the risk of abruption placentae and preterm labor as well as of postpartum uterine atony. Congenital anomalies do not occur at an increased rate in patients with GDM. There is reportedly an increased incidence of stillbirth when glucose control is poor. There is also a 10% per year risk of developing type II diabetes after the pregnancy in which GDM occurred, with the greatest risk within the first 5 years following the index pregnancy.