GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Annotated Bibliography; Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

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Annotated Bibliography; Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Reference No 1

Fetus refers to the unborn young of a vertebrate, after it has been molded into its basic form, more specifically mammals. For humans, the stage begins about eight weeks after conceptualization of a new life. The fetal stage is from the third month to eighth or ninth month where full development of the organ systems takes place. Arms and legs are formed by the end of the third month and reflexive movements get started. The process continues till the formation of full term fetus that is about 266 days old (Ross, Ervin, and Novak, 2007).

The chapter comprehensively discusses the essential doctrines of fetal physiology and the relevant placental physiology, while associating this information to normal and abnormal clinical conditions. Pregnancy related cardiovascular variations include a doubling of maternal cardiac output with 40 percent increase in volume of blood. Uterine blood flow on average is 10%-15% of maternal cardiac output i.e. 750ml/min (Ross, Ervin, and Novak, 2007). Placental (normal term) averages about 450g i.e. one seventh of fetal weight. However, output rate (fetal) is constant over a heart rate range of 120 to 180 bpm. 02 consumption of 8 ml/kg/min is vital for the new tissue which makes approximately up to 20% of the fetal. The maternal environment during pregnancy period essentially has marked long term effects since growth restricted offspring demonstrate an increased risk of adult metabolic syndrome. This period has been marked as very crucial as mentioned by the author. It requires activities to be adopted by the people in order to stay healthy and fit.



Reference No.2

For the steady fetal growth, transfer of glucose is an essential factor and the process of transport of glucose from mother to the fetus is quite a multifaceted process. It is not as simple as a diffusion process from a permeable membrane. It requires, firstly, the proper glucose supply and production in maternal blood because only if supply in maternal blood is present then would it lead to diffusion to fetus. This is secondly transferred to the fetus via placenta. The pancreas of the fetus also starts producing insulin, which causes the tissues in the body to take up more glucose. The excess of glucose may be harmful for the body and therefore, it is stored in the liver and liver releases stored glucose in the required amounts when glucose level falls. This stored glucose then provides the desired energy to the body to function.

Placenta is a permeable membrane which allows transfer of nutrients including oxygen and glucose to the fetus. This occurs by the process of diffusion as placenta is a membrane. The gases are diffused due to changes in pressure inside and outside the permeable membrane. Oxygen intake and carbon dioxide exhalation is also done via this membrane and the gases are released through lungs of the mother. But some particles cannot easily diffuse through the membrane and therefore, hexose transporters are ...