Study Finds More Pregnant US Diabetics

Diabetes among pregnant women has skyrocketed, a study finds, raising concerns for both mothers and children. In 1999-2005, the number of diabetic women giving birth more than doubled, the study found, and the number of diabetic teenage pregnancies rose five-fold. “These are high-risk pregnancies,” one doctor told USA Today. “All women with pre-existing diabetes need to plan their pregnancies.”

Researchers said the findings coincided with an “epidemic” of type 2 diabetes among an ever-fatter American public. “We're seeing more people who are overweight and obese, and that's a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes,” said the study’s lead author. (More diabetes stories.)