Indicator Profile of Diabetes: Gestational Diabetes

Why Is This Important?

Mothers with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developming diabetes later in life. At least 40 percent of mothers with gestational diabetes will develop diabetes within 20 years. Mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to have large babies (over 4,000 grams)which may in turn lead to an increased risk of cesarean section delivery. There is some evidence as well that infants born to mothers with diabetes during pregnancy have an excess risk of developing diabetes themselves.

Percentage of Utah Pregnanices With Gestational Diabetes Utah Birth Records 1990-2001

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Data Notes

Check boxes for gestational diabetes were first used in Utah in 1997.  Prior to 1997, Utah birth certificates did not differentiate between gestational and pre-existing diabetes. Gestational diabetes rates prior to 1997 were estimated by applying the rates from 1997 to 2001 to the total diabetes rates.

Data Sources

Utah Birth Certificate Database, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, Utah Department of Health; 

Definition

Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as having abnormally high plasma glucose levels during pregnancy. This abnormality disappears after pregnancy, although women with gestational diabetes tend to have a higher risk of developing diabetes later in life.

How We Calculated the Rates

Numerator: Number of live birth records listing gestational diabetes
Denominator: Number of live births

Page Content Updated On 07/22/03, Published on 01/14/04
Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, Bureau of Health Promotion, Division of Community and Family Health Services, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2107, Telephone: 801-538-6141, Fax: 801-538-9495, Website: http://health.utah.gov/diabetes, Contact: Brenda Ralls, Richard Bullough, Email: bralls@utah.gov, rbullough@utah.gov
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health's Center for Health Data IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.utah.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: "Retrieved Thu, 21 August 2008 19:48:35 from Utah Department of Health, Center for Health Data, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.utah.gov".

Content updated: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:25:05 MDT