Massachusetts Marks Third Gestational Diabetes Awareness Day as Cases Climb

Gestational diabetes (GDM) cases are on the rise in Massachusetts, with a 40% increase from 2014 to 2023, according to the Department of Public Health. In 2023, 5,417 births, or 8.1% of all births, were affected by GDM, up from 3,876 cases in 2014. This trend is part of a broader national analysis of over 12 million first births, published in a December 2025 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, which found that GDM rates climbed 36%, from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births.

B.E.A.T Gestational Diabetes® and 360Girls&Women® are urging early, team-based care to protect mothers and their babies. Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, CEO of 360Girls&Women® and executive director of B.E.A.T Gestational Diabetes® Inc., emphasized the importance of early education, proper testing, and expert nutrition support.

Anderson-Haynes, who has firsthand experience with the challenges of managing GDM, knows both sides of the exam room. Despite extensive training and experience, she had to push to be heard when her own blood sugar levels came back elevated at 28 weeks. She was repeatedly denied a second oral glucose tolerance test and had to seek a second opinion.

B.E.A.T. is also calling for a policy change to support the Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Act (S. 3934/H.R. 6199). The bill would extend Medicare nutrition coverage beyond diabetes and kidney disease to conditions including prediabetes and hypertension, a combination often seen in women at risk for GDM. It would also allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists to refer patients to registered dietitian nutritionists. Anderson-Haynes believes that if the MNT Act becomes law, commercial plans covering pregnant patients could adopt the same referral standard, ensuring that women see an RDN before a GDM diagnosis. "We deserve a seat at the table."

B.E.A.T Gestational Diabetes® Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises awareness, provides resources, and advocates for comprehensive prevention and support for moms and moms-to-be. The organization's growing library includes free resources and a paid program and course at beatgestationaldiabetes.org.