Can gestational diabetes be life threatening?

Yes: For the Baby: If the mom does not control her gestational diabetes (gdm), it can increase the risk of the baby dying (stillbirth), decrease the development of the baby's lungs, and increase the risk of the baby having a dangerously low blood sugar after delivery. Typically gdm does not affect the mom severely, unless she had diabetes before the pregnancy that was not diagnosed until after she became pregnant.

Can be for the baby: Diabetes can affect the developing baby throughout the pregnancy. In early pregnancy, a mother's diabetes can result in birth defects and an increased rate of miscarriage. Many of the birth defects that occur affect major organs such as the brain and heart. During the 2nd & 3rd trimester, a mother's diabetes can lead to over-nutrition & excess growth of the baby.