Gestational diabetes mellitus occurs in as many as 3 – 12% of
pregnancies in the US. In the 1988 National Maternal & Infant
Health Survey (NMIHS), diabetes was reported to occur in
4% of pregnancies with live births and, of these pregnancies,
88% were complicated by gestational diabetes.
12
Although
there has been continuing improvement in outcome for infants
born to diabetic mothers, these infants remain a high-risk
population.