Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of glucose intolerance diagnosed in some women during pregnancy.
5-10% of women with GDM have type 2 diabetes.
Women who have had gestational diabetes have an increased lifelong risk and a 40-60% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 5 to 10 years after pregnancy. Their offspring also are at higher risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes compared to other children.
Gestational diabetes is more common among African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and American Indians and Alaska Natives. It is also more common among obese women and women with a family history of diabetes.
Reference
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. National Diabetes Statistics, 2007. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 2008.