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Review
. 2022 Oct 27;7(1):bvac160.
doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvac160. eCollection 2022 Nov 17.

Gestational Diabetes and International Migration

Karoline Kragelund Nielsen  1 , Emma Davidsen  1 , Anne Husted Henriksen  1 , Gregers S Andersen  2
Affiliations
Review

Gestational Diabetes and International Migration

Karoline Kragelund Nielsen et al. J Endocr Soc. .

Abstract

In many countries, immigrant women constitute a substantial proportion of women giving birth. With gestational diabetes being one of the most common complications in pregnancy, understanding gestational diabetes in the context of international migration becomes increasingly relevant. Here, we examine the current evidence related to international migration and gestational diabetes, including short- and long-term adverse outcomes and the experiences of immigrant women with gestational diabetes care and long-term follow-up. Existing evidence focuses on immigrants in high-income countries, and has mainly examined differences in the risk of developing gestational diabetes, or on the experiences of immigrant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Studies suggest that the risk of gestational diabetes may be influenced by migration and that immigrant women likely experience particular barriers to care and follow-up. Current research on perinatal outcomes is inconclusive and studies on long-term outcomes are practically absent. Future research should include data on country of origin and examine the role of premigration and postmigration factors in developing gestational diabetes and its associated short- and long-term outcomes. Understanding these factors will provide useful insights into improving the health and health care needs of migrating populations and enable inclusion of culturally appropriate health care practices, thereby improving the health of our current and future generations.

Keywords: gestational diabetes; migration; mini-review; pregnancy outcomes; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors are employed at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, a public hospital and research institution under the Capital Region of Denmark, which is partly funded by a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation. GSA own shares in Novo Nordisk A/S.

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