Gestational diabetes mellitus is:

• A. A form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.
• B. Chronic type 2 diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy.
• C. A hormonal change causing hyperemesis.
• D. A condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Answer: (A)

Gestational diabetes mellitus is high blood sugar first recognized during pregnancy. It happens when pregnancy-related hormones cause insulin resistance, so glucose builds up in the mother's blood. It’s diagnosed during pregnancy, usually screening around 24–28 weeks with a glucose tolerance test. This is different from preexisting diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy, which would be chronic type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It isn’t about a hormonal change causing vomiting (hyperemesis) or about high blood pressure in pregnancy (hypertensive disorders like gestational hypertension or preeclampsia). The goal of management is to keep blood glucose in a normal range to reduce risks to both mother and baby, using diet, exercise, glucose monitoring, and sometimes medications. It may resolve after delivery, but it does increase the longer-term risk of developing type 2 diabetes later.