Epidemiology

It is estimated that in 2021, 16.7% of pregnancies worldwide that resulted in live births were affected by some form of hyperglycaemia.[5]​ Of these, 80.3% were due to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), while the rest were due to diabetes (including type 1 and type 2 diabetes) detected prior to, or during, the pregnancy.[5] GDM prevalence varies significantly between different countries.[5] A trend towards increasing prevalence of GDM has been noted in women in Asian countries and those with indigenous ethnicity (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, US).[6][7][8][9][10]​​​ In the UK in 2021, the prevalence of GDM was 20.6%.[5] Prevalence seems to depend on factors such as ethnic origin and varies from region to region.[4]

In the US, the percentage of mothers giving birth who received a diagnosis of GDM increased from 6% in 2016 to 8.3% in 2021.[11] Increases in GDM were seen in each maternal age group, and rates rose steadily with maternal age; in 2021, the rate for mothers aged ≥40 years (15.6%) was nearly six times as high as the rate for mothers aged <20 years (2.7%).[11]​ In one US study, GDM prevalence in an ethnically diverse California population varied from approximately 4.5% in non-Hispanic white and African-American women to 10.2% in Asian women.[12] Notably, the prevalence of GDM was higher among Asian-American women even at low BMIs.[12]

Information about risk factors for GDM is limited in published large data sets. However, increasing obesity, decreased physical activity, and advancing maternal age are potential contributing factors.[13][14]

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