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Diabetes and Pregnancy
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/diabetesandpregnancy.html

Diabetes and Pregnancy

Also called: Gestational diabetes
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Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Living With
  • Related Issues
  • Genetics

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Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

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For You

  • Patient Handouts

Summary

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. When you are pregnant, high blood sugar levels are not good for your baby.

About seven out of every 100 pregnant women in the United States get gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes is diabetes that happens for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after you have your baby. But it does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes later on. Your child is also at risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Most women get a test to check for diabetes during their second trimester of pregnancy. Women at higher risk may get a test earlier.

If you already have diabetes, the best time to control your blood sugar is before you get pregnant. High blood sugar levels can be harmful to your baby during the first weeks of pregnancy - even before you know you are pregnant. To keep you and your baby healthy, it is important to keep your blood sugar as close to normal as possible before and during pregnancy.

Either type of diabetes during pregnancy increases the chances of problems for you and your baby. To help lower the chances talk to your health care team about:

  • A meal plan for your pregnancy
  • A safe exercise plan
  • How often to test your blood sugar
  • Taking your medicine as prescribed. Your medicine plan may need to change during pregnancy.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

  • Diabetes and Pregnancy From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Gestational Diabetes From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Gestational Diabetes and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
  • Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Blood Glucose Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Diabetes Tests From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Diabetes Tests & Diagnosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
  • Glucose in Urine Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Am I at Risk for Gestational Diabetes? From the National Institutes of Health (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - PDF

Treatments and Therapies

  • Gestational Diabetes: Treatment & Perspective (American Diabetes Association)
  • Metformin and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish

Living With

  • Diabetic Diet: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Symptoms and Causes of Diabetes From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Genetics

  • Gestational diabetes: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

  • Blood Test May Identify Gestational Diabetes Risk in First Trimester (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
  • Breastfeeding May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk Among Women with Gestational Diabetes, NIH Study Suggests (National Institutes of Health)
  • Daily Folic Acid Supplement May Reduce Risk of Gestational Diabetes (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
  • High Blood Sugar During Pregnancy Ups Risk of Mother's Type 2 Diabetes, Child's Obesity (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Diabetes, Gestational From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Glycaemic control and novel technology management strategies in pregestational diabetes mellitus.
  • Article: QuickStats: Percentage of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes,* by Maternal Age -...
  • Article: Pregestational Diabetes and Congenital Heart Defects.
  • Diabetes and Pregnancy -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • American Diabetes Association
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development From the National Institutes of Health Also in Spanish
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases From the National Institutes of Health
  • NIDDK Information Clearinghouses and Health Information Center From the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Patient Handouts

  • Diabetes diet - gestational (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Gestational diabetes (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Gestational diabetes - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Glucose screening and tolerance tests during pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Infant of diabetic mother (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Diabetes and Pregnancy

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Diabetes diet - gestational
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes - self-care
  • Glucose screening and tolerance tests during pregnancy
  • Infant of diabetic mother

Related Health Topics

  • Diabetes
  • Health Problems in Pregnancy

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Diabetes and Pregnancy is the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Diabetes and Pregnancy

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  • NIH Research May Help Predict Gestational Diabetes Earlier in Pregnancy

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
Last updated June 15, 2020
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