Risks of GDM. Women with GDM have an increased incidence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia.17 There is an increase risk of polyhydramnios that may increase the risk of preterm labor. Excessive fetal growth remains an important perinatal concern in GDM. Consequences of excessive fetal growth include birth trauma, maternal morbidity from cesarean deliveries, shoulder dystocia, and neonatal hypoglycemia.17 Other neonatal morbidities that potentially occur more frequently in infants of women with GDM include hyperbilirubinemia, hypocalcemia, erythema, and respiratory distress syndrome.17 Long-term complications of GDM include diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the mothers,24 and obesity and diabetes in the offspring.25 Congenital anomalies do not occur at an increased rate in patients with gestational diabetes, as GDM usually occurs at the late second trimester when embryogenesis is completed.