Final answer:
The fetus of a mother with gestational diabetes can suffer from hyperglycemia. High maternal blood glucose levels can lead to the baby producing excess insulin, which carries risks during and after birth. Long-term, the baby might have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Option d is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient is diagnosed with gestational diabetes, the nurse cautions that a major complication during early pregnancy is that the fetus could suffer from hyperglycemia. Gestational diabetes affects the insulin efficiency of the mother, leading to high blood glucose levels that can cross the placenta and affect the fetus.
The baby's pancreas can start to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Babies with too much insulin may grow too large (macrosomia), causing complications during delivery and an increased chance of cesarean section.
Additionally, these babies may have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) shortly after birth due to their insulin production. Long-term risks include the child developing type 2 diabetes later in life and the mother having gestational diabetes in future pregnancies or developing type 2 diabetes as well.
Conversely, symptoms of diabetic neuropathy may include numbness, tingling, and pain in the extremities. This condition arises primarily due to damage to blood vessels, which results from chronic high blood glucose levels.
Careful management of gestational diabetes is crucial to prevent these and other potential complications like increased risk of heart disease and kidney issues.