OBJECTIVES: There is a great risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) development. Children also have an increased risk of obesity, IGT, or diabetes if their mother previously had GDM. Older age of pregnant women and the increasing prevalence of obesity in the population may also result in an increased risk for GDM. Our aim was to assess the prevalence of GDM and its related syndromes among children in Hungary.

METHODS: ICD codes O24.4 (gestational diabetes mellitus) and P70.0 (syndrome of infant of mother with gestational diabetes) were selected, data were derived from the Hungarian „PULVITA Databank” and the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. Patient numbers were available and analysed between 2012-2021 for outpatient, 2010-2021 for inpatient care, as well as the number of live births and the population of childbearing age (15–49 years).

RESULTS: 4,160 GDM patients were in inpatient care in 2010, which increased by 85.48% to 2021 (7,716 people). Diagnosed GDM accounted for 4.61% of the number of live births in the first, and 8.30% in the last year assessed. As for outpatient care, there were 16,533 women with GDM in 2012 (18.32% of all live births, 0.71% of women of childbearing age), which increased to 26,614 in 2021 (28.62% of the number of live births, 1.22% of women of childbearing age). In 2010, syndrome of infants of GDM mothers was diagnosed 2,250 times in inpatient care (2.49% of live births), which increased by 2.77 times in 2021 (6,232 infants, 6.70% of all live births).

CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of GDM and its associated syndromes among children has risen in the last decade. Timely diagnosis of carbohydrate metabolism disorders during pregnancy and regular monitoring are essential for both maternal and child health, and to help achieving the overall goal of reducing T2DM prevalence.