Numbers Rising for Women Developing Diabetes in Pregnancy
The number of women who developed diabetes during pregnancy increased 30% between 2016 and 2020, according a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.
Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy in women who don’t already have diabetes. The diseases cause health issues for both the mother and baby.
The condition occurs when the body cannot make enough insulin. According to the CDC, all pregnant women have some form of insulin resistance in late pregnancy.
The rise in gestational diabetes affects about 2%-10% of pregnancies in the U.S. annually and can lead to increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life.
According to the report, the rate in gestational diabetes rose with the increase of maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index and plurality — in other words, when a woman has multiple children.
Alaska has the highest rate of gestational diabetes at 12.6%, and Mississippi the lowest at 4.7%.
Alexa can be reached at [email protected]
