1 in 4 pregnant women in South India has gestational diabetes

Sumit Jha

Dec 15, 2025

Health

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One in four pregnant women in South India carries gestational diabetes, a condition that threatens both mother and child with complications ranging from pre-term birth to lifelong metabolic disease.

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The prevalence stands at 24.2 percent — a figure that positions the region above the national crisis line but below the alarming peaks recorded in central and north India.

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Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition where a woman develops high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, even though she didn’t have diabetes before becoming pregnant.

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India’s first nationally representative survey mapped the condition across 31 states and UTs revealing that 22.4 percent of pregnant women nationwide face elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy. 

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The study, conducted under the ICMR-INDIAB national survey and published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, analysed data from 1,032 pregnant women between 2008 and 2024.