Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when a previously healthy woman is found to have developed diabetes during her pregnancy.
Researchers at Bushehr University of Medical Sciences in Iran, compared cases of thyroid gland disorders in women with and without Gestational diabetes, and continued to compare them for one year.
Their study, reported on in the journal Diabetes Medicine in September 2014, included...

• 342 women diagnosed with diabetes during their pregnancy, and
• 313 healthy pregnant women.
  

It was found...

• 16.
  6 percent of the women with Gestational diabetes, and
• 6.
  1 percent of pregnant women without diabetes

had thyroid disorders.
One year after giving birth...

• 19.
  6 percent of the women diagnosed with Gestational diabetes had thyroid gland inflammation, or thyroiditis, compared to
• 10.
  2 percent of the healthy pregnant women.
  

From this information it was concluded women diagnosed with diabetes during their pregnancy, should be screened for abnormal thyroid hormone levels whilst pregnant and for one year following delivery of their baby.
The thyroid hormone is released by the thyroid gland which is located in the neck.
The thyroid hormone helps the body to burn fat for energy and keeping the body warm.
Having too much thyroid hormone, or hyperthyroidism, can result in feelings of...

• nervousness,
• insomnia,
• tremors,
• nausea and vomiting,
• heart palpitations,
• underweight, and
• heat intolerance

Having too little of the thyroid hormone, hypothyroidism, can result in...

• feeling tired,
• overweight,
• dry skin,
• muscle cramps,
• constipation,
• difficulty with memory or concentration,
• coarse hair,
• loss of eyebrows, and
• cold intolerance.
  

During pregnancy, thyroid disorders can lead to high blood pressure in mothers, prematurity, low birth weight, and miscarriage.
For some reason, the immune system sometimes attacks the thyroid gland as if it were an invader.
The condition, called autoimmunity, can occur in anyone, but appears to be more common in pregnancy than in nonpregnant individuals.
Autoimmunity can lead to either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.
When a thyroid disorder is suspected, blood levels of the thyroid hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone (released by the pituitary gland to tell the thyroid gland to make hormone), are measured.
If thyroid hormone levels are low or if the thyroid stimulating hormone is too high, oral thyroid hormone is prescribed.
If thyroid hormone levels are too high, medication can be prescribed to slow down production.
People being treated must have their thyroid hormone levels monitored periodically to make sure they are within the normal range.
For some time, pregnant women who have had thyroid problems have been advised to alert their doctor.
Women with Gestational diabetes might also want to discuss the possibility of screening for thyroid difficulties.