Gestational diabetes affects the mother in late pregnancy, after the baby's body has been formed, but while the baby is busy growing. Because of this, gestational diabetes does not cause the kinds of birth defects sometimes seen in babies whose mothers had diabetes before pregnancy.

However, untreated or poorly controlled gestational diabetes can hurt your baby. When you have gestational diabetes, your pancreas works overtime to produce insulin, but the insulin does not lower your blood glucose levels. Although insulin does not cross the placenta, glucose and other nutrients do. Extra blood glucose goes through the placenta, giving the baby high blood glucose levels. This causes the baby's pancreas to make extra insulin to get rid of the blood glucose. Since the baby is getting more energy than it needs to grow and develop, the extra energy is stored as fat.

This can lead to macrosomia - baby's body and organs are larger than normal as a result of being exposed to excess amounts of insulin while in the uterus. Babies with macrosomia face health problems of their own, including damage to their shoulders during birth. Because of the extra insulin made by the baby's pancreas, newborns may have very low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) at birth and are also at higher risk for breathing problems (Respiratory Distress Syndrome RSD). Babies with excess insulin become children who are at risk for obesity and adults who are at risk for type 2 diabetes. Other conditions that can result from your having gestational diabetes is Jaundice; baby's skin turns yellowish, white parts of the eyes may also change color slightly. If treated, jaundice is not a serious problem for the baby. Low Calcium and Magnesium levels in the baby's blood could develop a condition that causes spasms in the hands and feet or twitching or cramping muscles. This condition can be treated with calcium and magnesium supplements. Gestational diabetes usually does not cause birth defects or deformities. Most developmental or physical defects happen during the first trimester of pregnancy, between the 1 st and 8 th week. Women with Gestational diabetes usually have normal blood sugar levels during the first trimester which allows the body and body systems of the fetus to develop normally.