What are the risk factors for gestational diabetes?

Parental characteristics that increase the risk for developing gestational diabetes include obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, physical inactivity, prior gestational diabetes or glucose intolerance, family history of type 2 diabetes, high-risk race/ethnicity (e.g., Black, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander), hypertension (high blood pressure), multiple gestation pregnancy, older maternal age, polycystic ovary syndrome, and previous birth of a large infant (greater than 9 lbs).^[1][2]