Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, with Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16) today reintroduced the Gestational Diabetes (GEDI) Act of 2015, a bill aimed at lowering the incidences of gestational diabetes and the development of Type 2 diabetes in women and children.
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), as many as 9.2 percent of all pregnancies in the United States are affected by gestational diabetes, a condition in which pregnant women who have never had diabetes before experience high blood glucose (sugar) levels and are no longer able to make and use the insulin needed during the pregnancy. This condition can lead to health issues for the unborn child, including macrosomia and breathing problems. In addition, women who are afflicted with gestational diabetes and their children are at elevated risk of developing Type 2 diabetes post-pregnancy.
The GEDI Act, which is supported by the ADA and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) seeks to improve gestational diabetes treatments and outcomes by:
- Developing a multi-site gestational diabetes research project with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to enhance surveillance and public health research on gestational diabetes.
- Providing grants to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes.
- Expanding basic, clinical and public health research focused on investigating gestational diabetes and available treatments and therapies.
“During my over 30 years as a practicing obstetrician, I witnessed many women suffer from gestational diabetes and later develop Type 2 diabetes. Congress must pay attention to the growing rate of gestational diabetes—an issue that has been ignored for far too long,” said Congressman Burgess. "The fight against diabetes is a bipartisan fight and I look forward to working with Congressman Engel again on this legislation to increase preventative measures aimed at slowing the incidence of gestational diabetes.”
“Gestational diabetes is a condition that can carry very serious health consequences for not only unborn children, but their mothers as well,” Congressman Engel said. “We need to be more proactive in detecting, treating, and reducing the number of GEDI cases. However, until we have expanded federal support in those areas, advances in the GEDI field will be difficult to attain.”
“I am proud to reintroduce this important, bipartisan bill with Congressman Burgess, and I implore my colleagues to stand with us in the fight against gestational diabetes.”
“Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), one of the most common clinical issues facing obstetricians and our patients, can have serious consequences for both mother and baby. ACOG is proud to support the critically important GEDI Act, which would provide crucial funding for both research and community education to help us fight back against this condition. Thank you, Representatives Burgess and Engel, for your commitment to ensuring healthy moms and healthy babies,” said ACOG Executive Vice President Hal C. Lawrence III, MD.
The Institute of Medicine recommends all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes between weeks 24-28 of a pregnancy. Women who are deemed at risk should also be screened at their first prenatal visit. Although the majority of gestational diabetes cases do not continue postpartum, cases that are left untreated during the pregnancy could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes in both mother and child.
