Hyperglycemia in pregnancy has impacts that can negatively affect mother and baby in pregnancy, birth and beyond. While standard of care includes counseling on implications for pregnancy outcomes, less is shared regarding adverse outcomes beyond that. Similarly, approaches to support anyone of reproductive capacity to maintain normoglycemia prior to pregnancy is limited. Further, there is lack of consensus on diagnosis, normal glucose parameters and management of the hyperglycemia spectrum in pregnancy. This contributes to confusion for patients, provider and health care systems, it expends valuable time and resources, sabotaging our ability optimally impact outcomes in the finite duration of pregnancy and interpregnancy period.

Hyperglycemia in pregnancy does not impact all people equally. Individuals experiencing excess life stressors, including racism, poverty and adversity, are more likely to be impacted now and intergenerationally. The transmission of these health disparities can be through pathophysiologic and epigenetic mechanisms which are further amplified by environmental factors: natural (pollution) and built (access to nutritious foods and green spaces). Optimizing care for hyperglycemia in pregnancy is an equity issue and it is one of the first places we can reduce future health disparities.

Without comprehensive and integrated diabetes care in pregnancy, opportunities to maximize lifelong health and wellbeing are forfeited.

Early Life Lasts a Lifetime, taking advantage of the opportunity to address hyperglycemia in pregnancy, optimal outcomes can be achieved.