– COURTED BY EDELMAN – Archive
MADRID, 2 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Gestational diabetes is on the rise in the United States, with cases increasing each year between 2016 and 2024. A new analysis of over 12 million births conducted by Northwestern Medicine reveals a concerning trend: the condition has spiked 36% over the nine-year period, climbing from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births.
A Decade of Uninterrupted Increases
What’s driving the surge in gestational diabetes rates across the U.S.?
This increase in gestational diabetes, a condition that poses health risks for both mother and baby, has been observed across all racial and ethnic groups. “Gestational diabetes has been rising steadily for more than 10 years, which means everything we’ve tried to do to address diabetes during pregnancy hasn’t worked,” explained Dr. Nilay Shah, associate professor of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
The current findings build upon previous research from the same team, which covered the period from 2011 to 2019, confirming nearly 15 years of continuous increases in gestational diabetes diagnoses. This form of glucose intolerance, first detected during pregnancy, not only presents immediate risks during gestation but also elevates the likelihood of developing diabetes and heart disease later in life for both mother and child.
Worsening Health Trends in young Adults
Dr.Shah believes this alarming trend is a reflection of deteriorating health among young Americans. “The health of young adults has been steadily worsening: less healthy diets, less exercise and more obesity,” he says. “These trends likely explain the increased rates of diabetes during pregnancy.”
The northwestern scientists analyzed data from every singleton first-pregnancy birth in the United States between 2016 and 2024, utilizing birth certificate data from the National Center for Health Statistics.Their analysis, broken down by race and ethnicity, revealed that women identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Native hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander experienced considerably higher rates of gestational diabetes compared to other groups.
Did you know?-Gestational diabetes usually disappears after delivery, but increases a woman’s lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Pro tip-Maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise before and during pregnancy can lower the risk of gestational diabetes.
reader question-what lifestyle changes can help prevent gestational diabetes? Share your thoughts!
“These data clearly demonstrate that we are not doing enough to support the health of the american population, especially young women, before and during pregnancy,” Dr. shah stated. “Public health interventions and public policies must focus on helping all people access high-quality medical care and have the
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