Gestational Diabetes News and Research

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Gestational diabetes is diabetes that is found for the first time when a woman is pregnant. Out of every 100 pregnant women in the United States, three to eight get gestational diabetes. Diabetes means that your blood glucose (also called blood sugar) is too high. Your body uses glucose for energy. But too much glucose in your blood can be harmful. When you are pregnant, too much glucose is not good for your baby.

Detecting diabetes risk by analyzing household data

New research to be presented at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (September 15-19, 2025) shows that early detection of individuals at risk for diabetes is possible by analyzing the electronic records of people living within the same household for risk factors. The study is led by Dr Tainayah Thomas, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA, and colleagues.

18 Aug 2025

Pregnancy complications may signal early stroke risk

Experiencing complications during pregnancy is linked with a higher risk of stroke before age 50, according to a study published August 6, 2025, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Aug 2025

Living in deprived neighborhoods linked to higher risk of gestational diabetes

New research from the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health showed that living in resource-poor neighborhoods may raise the risk of women developing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition with potential long-term effects on the health of both mother and child.

4 Aug 2025

Can your diet and health change your breast milk? Review uncovers the key maternal and birth factors

This review highlights how maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal factors influence the energy and macronutrient content of breast milk. The findings underscore significant variability in milk composition, with implications for tailored nutritional support in early life.

3 Aug 2025

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy linked to lower breastfeeding rates

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) - like chronic or gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia - are among the leading causes of maternal and infant death in the United States.

18 Jul 2025

Ultra-processed foods threaten brain health in kids and teens, review warns

Children, adolescents, and unborn babies exposed to high levels of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) face increased risks of impaired brain development, cognitive deficits, and long-term mental health challenges. The review underscores how UPF-driven changes in reward pathways, nutrient deficits, inflammation, and the gut–brain axis can have lasting impacts across generations.

13 Jul 2025

Early-onset diabetes rates soar among young adults in Sweden

Early-onset type 2 diabetes nearly doubled in Sweden between 2006 and 2021, with the sharpest increases among young adults, ethnic minorities, and those with lower education. Projections show early-onset T2D could triple by 2050, posing a major public health challenge.

10 Jul 2025

New study finds UK mums-to-be miss out on key nutrients

A new British Nutrition Foundation review finds that most UK women of reproductive age fall short of key nutrients before and during pregnancy, with teens and low-income groups most affected. The paper urges targeted, consistent guidance and greater support for healthy weight, supplementation, and plant-based diets.

7 Jul 2025

Gut microbiota signatures predict gestational diabetes in first trimester

A new study has identified early-pregnancy gut microbiota signatures associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder that carries substantial risks to both maternal and fetal health.

1 Jul 2025

Gut microbiota and metabolic changes linked to pregnancy risks in women with PCOS

A new study presented today at the 41st Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) reveals that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have distinct gut microbiota and metabolic signatures linked to premature endometrial aging and a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

30 Jun 2025

Excess trace metal levels may trigger gestational diabetes

Excess micronutrients in early pregnancy may raise gestational diabetes risks. Study links essential metal levels to GDM onset, urging a rethink on supplements.

24 Jun 2025

Use of sleep heart rate patterns to forecast diabetes risk in pregnancy

This study highlights the potential of heart rate variability as an early indicator of gestational diabetes, facilitating proactive healthcare in pregnancy.

23 Jun 2025

New guideline puts lifestyle interventions at the forefront of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes care

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has published the first clinical practice guideline to put lifestyle interventions at the forefront of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes care.

10 Jun 2025

Genetic factors influence obesity risk in children exposed to gestational diabetes

Children exposed to gestational diabetes in utero with a specific variation of a common gene are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese during childhood, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 May 2025

Millions of women may be unaware of their risk for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease

Millions of women may be unknowingly living with risk factors for heart, kidney and metabolic disease – interconnected conditions that together drive risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women, according to experts with the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

12 May 2025

Mothers' early pregnancy weight influences kids’ BMI into adolescence

Children born to mothers with higher BMI in early pregnancy have greater weight and BMI from birth through age 10, regardless of prenatal lifestyle interventions. Paternal BMI also plays a significant role in childhood obesity risk.

10 May 2025

Maternal health during pregnancy linked to higher blood pressure in children

Children born to mothers with obesity, gestational diabetes mellitus or a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than children born to mothers without these risk factors, according to a new USC study.

8 May 2025

Study unveils genetic pathway leading to cleft lip and palate formation

Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common birth defects, occurring in about one in 1,050 births in the United States.

17 Apr 2025

Nontraditional risk factors linked to stroke in adults under 50

Adults younger than 50 years of age had more than double the risk of having a stroke from migraine or other nontraditional stroke risk factors rather than traditional risks such as high blood pressure, according to research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

17 Apr 2025

Pregnancy complications may predict future heart disease risk

Complications during pregnancy (or adverse pregnancy outcomes), like gestational diabetes and newly developed high blood pressure, act as nature's stress test and may uncover an individual's risk for heart disease later in life, according to new research published in the JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

14 Apr 2025