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Gestational Diabetes


content provided by Healthwise

What Increases Your Risk

You have an increased chance of developing gestational diabetes if:

  • You are 25 or older when you become pregnant.
  • You have had gestational diabetes before.
  • You have given birth to a baby who weighed more than 9 lb (4 kg).
  • You weighed more than 9 lb (4 kg) when you were born.
  • You have a parent or sibling who has type 2 diabetes.
  • You are not physically active before pregnancy.
  • You are obese (your body mass index [BMI] is 30 or higher).
  • You are a member of a racial/ethnic group that has a high risk of developing diabetes, such as Latin Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, or Pacific Islanders.
  • You have polycystic ovary syndrome.
  • You have a dark skin rash on the back or your neck or in folds on your body.
  • You take corticosteroid medicine.
  • You have a history of pre-diabetes.
  • You have a history of problems during pregnancy.


Last Updated: December 4, 2007
Author:
Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS
Medical Review:
Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine

Lois Jovanovic, MD - Endocrinology


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