Gestational Diabetes Among Ethnic Groups

---

Dabelea D, Snell-Bergeon JK, Heartsfield CL, et al.: Increasing Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Over Time and by Birth Cohort Diabetes Care 28:579-584, 2005.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Women who have high blood glucose during pregnancy have gestational diabetes. Babies born to women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have birth defects and to someday get type 2 diabetes.

Obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. People who are obese are much more likely to get diabetes. Because more people are becoming obese, researchers believe that more women will develop gestational diabetes.

Researchers have studied gestational diabetes among Pima Indians, who have the world's highest rate of type 2 diabetes. The number of Pima kids with type 2 diabetes is growing. It might be that mothers with gestational diabetes are having more babies.

The researchers also wanted to find out if gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes were increasing among other ethnic groups.

Who was studied?

The study included 36,403 women in the Kaiser Permanente of Colorado health insurance plan. They were from the Denver area and gave birth between 1994 and 2002.

All women who did not have diabetes before they were pregnant were tested for gestational diabetes. Women who had type 1 or type 2 diabetes before they got pregnant were not included in the study.

How was the study done?

Researchers used Kaiser Permanente's records to collect information about pregnant women, which included age, medical history, and ethnicity. They used the information to determine how many women had gestational diabetes in each of four ethnic groups: Whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians.

What did the researchers find?

More women are getting gestational diabetes in all ethnic groups, especially Hispanic, African American, and Asian women. Younger women got gestational diabetes more often than older women. The researchers believe that this is because of an increase in obesity.

What are the limitations of the study?

The Kaiser Permanente records contained little information on obesity among pregnant patients between 1994 and 2002. It is possible that some women had type 2 diabetes before they became pregnant but were unaware of it. Because they were pregnant, their doctors may have diagnosed them with gestational diabetes instead of type 2 diabetes.

What are the implications of the study?

The study adds to earlier research on gestational diabetes in Pima Indians. This research suggests that women with gestational diabetes are more likely to have children who develop type 2 diabetes. There is a strong link between obesity, gestational diabetes, and type 2 diabetes in children, and unless the obesity rate in the U.S. is reduced, the rate of gestational diabetes will continue to rise among ethnic minority women.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes and Pregnancy

Gestational Diabetes: What To Expect, 4th Edition (Alexandria, VA, ADA, 2000)