(jes-TAY-shun-ul MELL-ih-tus) (GDM):
a type of diabetes mellitus that develops only during pregnancy and usually disappears upon delivery, but increases the risk that the mother will develop diabetes later. GDM is managed with meal planning, activity, and, in some cases, insulin.
Reported rates of gestational diabetes range from 2 to 10 percent of pregnancies. Five-10 percent of women with gestational diabetes are found to have type 2 diabetes immediately after birth. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 35 -60 percent chance of developing diabetes in the next 10-20 years. .
New diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes will increase the proportion of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It is estimated that 18 percent of all pregnancies are affected by gestational diabetes.
