The National Institutes of Health in the United States is launching a study of long-term effects of blood glucose during pregnancy. They released information to the press yesterday. Here is some information directly from the press release:
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health plan to determine whether elevated blood sugar during pregnancy, a less–severe condition than gestational diabetes, influences later levels of body fat in children and development of diabetes in mothers after giving birth…
“The goal of this study is to determine the levels of blood sugar during pregnancy that are linked to increased body fat in the child, and to a mother’s chances of developing diabetes 8 to12 years after her pregnancy,” said Mary Horlick, M.D.
According to the NIH, women with the following risk factors are more likely to develop gestational diabetes:
- Overweight or obese
- A strong family history of diabetes
- A previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes
- Being African-American, American Indian, Asian-American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander
NDEP resources on gestational diabetes are available at http://www.yourdiabetesinfo.org 
or by calling toll-free 1-888-693-NDEP (1-888-693-6337).
