Gestational diabetes is a condition which occurs in roughly 3-10% of women in pregnancy. As the prevalence of diabetes in the North American population increases, so too has the incidence of gestational diabetes, which is defined as glucose intolerance of varying degrees, first presenting during pregnancy. Women with gestational diabetes have higher overall risk during pregnancy, including higher risk of cesarean delivery, neonatal intensive unit admissions, and overall serious injury at birth.
An article published in the most recent issue of The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology describes a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente in California, which sought to correlate the overall metabolic profile of women before pregnancy, with the incidence of gestational diabetes. Researchers found that women with higher body mass indices (BMI) and higher blood glucose readings before pregnancy had a 4.6 times higher risk of developing gestational diabetes than women with normal BMI and blood glucose.
This article described symptoms in adolescent and young adult women which cumulatively are called metabolic syndrome. These symptoms, which include high blood pressure, high cholesterol readings, and higher waist circumference (over 35 inches in women) are correlated with the development of diabetes during pregnancy. However, it is also important to note that persons with metabolic syndrome have a higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which can cause serious health consequences not only during pregnancy, but throughout one's life. Being able to screen young women for metabolic syndrome may help predict and hopefully prevent not only gestational diabetes, but Type 2 diabetes.