What I need to know about

Gestational Diabetes

National Diabetes Information 

Clearinghouse

What I need to know about 

Gestational Diabetes 

Contents 

What is gestational diabetes? ................................. 1 

What causes gestational diabetes? ........................ 3 

What are my chances of getting gestational 

diabetes? .................................................................. 4 

How can I lower my chances of getting 

gestational diabetes?............................................... 5
 

When will I be tested for gestational 


diabetes? .................................................................. 6
 

How is gestational diabetes diagnosed?................ 6
 

How will gestational diabetes affect 


my baby? .................................................................. 8
 

Will I need extra tests during pregnancy 


to check my baby’s health? ................................... 10
 

How will gestational diabetes affect me?............ 11
 

How is gestational diabetes treated?................... 13
 

Eating, Diet, and Nutrition .................................. 14
 

How will I know whether my blood 


glucose levels are on target?................................. 17
 

Will I need to do other tests on my own? ........... 19
 

After I have my baby, how can I find 


out whether I still have diabetes? ........................ 20
 
How can I prevent or delay type 2 


diabetes later in life?............................................. 21
 

How can I give my baby a healthy start?............. 23
 

How can I help my child be healthy 


in the future? ......................................................... 26
 

Points to Remember ............................................. 28
 

Hope through Research ........................................... 30
 

Pronunciation Guide .............................................. 32
 

For More Information .......................................... 33
 

Acknowledgments ................................................. 34
 
 

 

1 

What is gestational diabetes? 

Gestational* diabetes is a type of diabetes that 

develops only during pregnancy. Diabetes means 

your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too 

high. Your body uses glucose for energy. Too 

much glucose in your blood is not good for you or 

your baby. 

*See page 32 for tips on how to say the words in 

bold type. 

Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed during 

late pregnancy. If you are diagnosed with diabetes 

earlier in your pregnancy, you may have had 

diabetes before you became pregnant. 

Treating gestational diabetes can help both you and 

your baby stay healthy. You can protect your baby 

and yourself by taking action right away to control 

your blood glucose levels. 

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops only 

during pregnancy.
If you have gestational diabetes, a health care team 

will likely be part of your care. In addition to your 

obstetrician-gynecologist, or OB/GYN—the doctor 

who will deliver your baby—your team might 

include a doctor who treats diabetes, a diabetes 

educator, and a dietitian to help you plan meals. 

For Women with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes 

If you already have type 1 or type 2 diabetes 

and are thinking about having a baby, talk with 

your doctor before you get pregnant. Untreated 

or poorly controlled diabetes can cause serious 

problems for your baby. Read more in What I 

need to know about Preparing for Pregnancy if I 

Have Diabetes at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov or 

call 1–800–860–8747 and request a copy. 

2 
 

 

 

What causes gestational diabetes? 

Gestational diabetes happens when your body can’t 

make enough insulin during pregnancy. Insulin 

is a hormone made in your pancreas, an organ 

located behind your stomach. Insulin helps your 

body use glucose for energy and helps control your 

blood glucose levels. 

During pregnancy, your body makes more 

hormones and goes through other changes, such as 

weight gain. These changes cause your body’s cells 

to use insulin less effectively, a condition called 

insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases 

your body’s need for insulin. If your pancreas can’t 

make enough insulin, you will have gestational 

diabetes. 

All pregnant women have some insulin resistance 

during late pregnancy. However, some women 

have insulin resistance even before they get 

pregnant, usually because they are overweight. 

These women start pregnancy with an increased 

need for insulin and are more likely to have 

gestational diabetes. 

3 
What are my chances of getting gestational 

diabetes? 

Your chances of getting gestational diabetes are 

higher if you 

❑	 are overweight 

❑	 have had gestational diabetes before 

❑	 have given birth to a baby weighing more 

than 9 pounds 

❑	 have a parent, brother, or sister with type 2 

diabetes 

❑	 have prediabetes, meaning your blood 

glucose levels are higher than normal yet not 

high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes 

❑	 are African American, American Indian, 

Asian American, Hispanic/Latina, or Pacific 

Islander American 

❑	 have a hormonal disorder called polycystic 

ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS 

4 
How can I lower my chances of 


getting gestational diabetes?
 

If you are thinking about getting pregnant and are 

overweight, you can lower your chances of getting 

gestational diabetes by 

● losing extra weight 

●	 increasing your physical activity level before you 

get pregnant 

Taking these steps can improve how your body 

uses insulin and help your blood glucose levels stay 

normal. 

Once you are pregnant, you should not try to lose 

weight. You need to gain some weight for your 

baby to be healthy. However, gaining too much 

weight too quickly may increase your chances of 

getting gestational diabetes. Your doctor will tell 

you how much weight gain and physical activity 

during pregnancy are right for you. 

5 
 

 

 

6 

When will I be tested for gestational 

diabetes? 

You will probably be tested for gestational diabetes 

between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy. 

If you have a higher chance of getting gestational 

diabetes, your doctor may test for diabetes during 

the first visit after you become pregnant. If your 

blood glucose level is above normal at that time, 

you may be diagnosed with diabetes rather than 

gestational diabetes. 

How is gestational diabetes 

diagnosed? 

Doctors use blood tests to diagnose gestational 

diabetes. All diabetes blood tests involve drawing 

blood at a doctor’s office or a commercial facility. 

Blood samples are sent to a lab for analysis.
7 

 

 

 

Screening Glucose Challenge Test 

For this test, you will drink a sugary beverage and 

have your blood glucose level checked an hour 

later. This test can be done at any time of the day. 

If the results are above normal, you may need to 

have an oral glucose tolerance test. 

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test 

You will need to fast for at least 8 hours before 

the test. Fasting means having nothing to eat or 

drink except water. Your doctor will give you other 

instructions to follow before the test. 

Your fasting blood glucose level will be checked 

before the test begins. Then you will drink a 

sugary beverage. Your blood glucose levels will be 

checked 1 hour, 2 hours, and possibly 3 hours later. 

Your doctor will use your test results to find out 

whether you have gestational diabetes. 
8 

How will gestational diabetes affect 

my baby? 

If you have high blood glucose levels because your 

gestational diabetes is not under control, your baby 

will also have high blood glucose. Your baby’s 

pancreas will have to make extra insulin to control 

the high blood glucose. The extra glucose in your 

baby’s blood is stored as fat. 

Untreated or uncontrolled gestational diabetes can 

cause problems for your baby, such as 

● being born with a larger than normal body— 

a condition called macrosomia—which can 

make delivery difficult and more dangerous for 

your baby
9 

 

 

●	 having low blood glucose, also called 

hypoglycemia, right after birth 

●	 having breathing problems, a condition called 

respiratory distress syndrome 

●	 having a higher chance of dying before or soon 

after birth 

Your baby also might be born with jaundice. 

Jaundice is more common in newborns of mothers 

who had diabetes during their pregnancy. With 

jaundice, the skin and whites of the eyes turn 

yellow. Jaundice usually goes away, but your baby 

may need to be placed under special lights to help. 

Making sure your baby gets plenty of milk from 

breastfeeding will also help the jaundice go away. 

Your baby will be more likely to become 

overweight and develop type 2 diabetes as he or 

she grows up. 
10 

Will I need extra tests during 

pregnancy to check my baby’s health? 

If you have gestational diabetes, your doctor may 

recommend that you have some extra tests to check 

your baby’s health, such as 

● ultrasound exams, which use sound waves to 

make images that show your baby’s growth and 

whether your baby is larger than normal 

● a nonstress test, which uses a monitor placed 

on your abdomen to check whether your baby’s 

heart rate increases as it should when your baby 

is active 

● kick counts to check the time between your 

baby’s movements
11 

How will gestational diabetes affect me? 

Gestational diabetes may increase your chances of 

●	 having high blood pressure and too much protein 

in the urine, a condition called preeclampsia 

●	 having surgery—called a cesarean section or 

c-section—to deliver your baby because your 

baby may be large 

●	 becoming depressed 

●	 developing type 2 diabetes and the problems that 

can come with this disease 

Preeclampsia 

Preeclampsia occurs during the second half of 

pregnancy. If not treated, preeclampsia can cause 

problems for you and your baby that could cause 

death. The only cure for preeclampsia is to give 

birth. If you develop preeclampsia late in your 

pregnancy, you may need to have a cesarean 

section to deliver your baby early. If you develop 

preeclampsia earlier, you may need bed rest and 

medicines, or you may have to be hospitalized to 

allow your baby to develop as much as possible 

before delivery. 
12 

 

 

Depression 

Depression can make you too tired to manage your 

diabetes and care for your baby. If during or after 

your pregnancy you feel anxious, sad, or unable 

to cope with the changes you are facing, talk with 

your health care team. Depression can be treated. 

Your health care team may suggest ways you can 

get support and help to feel better. Remember, in 

order to take care of your baby, you must first take 

care of yourself. 

Checkups 

Keep up with your checkups. “Feeling fine” does 

not mean you should skip any appointments. 

Women with gestational diabetes often have no 

symptoms. Your health care team will be on 

the lookout for any problems from gestational 

diabetes. 

After Giving Birth 

Your diabetes will probably go away after your 

baby is born. However, even if your diabetes goes 

away after the birth, you 

●	 may have gestational diabetes if you get 

pregnant again 

●	 will be more likely to have type 2 diabetes later 

in your life 
 

13 

How is gestational diabetes treated? 

Treating gestational diabetes means taking steps 

to keep your blood glucose levels in a target range. 

Targets are numbers you aim for. Your doctor will 

help you set your targets. You will learn how to 

control your blood glucose using 

● healthy eating 

● physical activity 

● insulin shots, if needed 

Using a healthy eating plan will help your 

blood glucose stay in your target range.
14 

Eating, Diet, and Nutrition 

Your health care team will help you make a healthy 

eating plan with food choices that are good for 

both you and your baby. These choices are good 

for you to follow throughout pregnancy and after, 

as you raise your family. 

Using a healthy eating plan will help your blood 

glucose stay in your target range. The plan will 

help you know which foods to eat, how much to 

eat, and when to eat. Food choices, amounts, and 

timing are all important in keeping your blood 

glucose levels in your target range. 

Read more in What I need to know about Eating 

and Diabetes at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov. 
15 

Physical Activity 

Physical activity can help you reach your blood 

glucose targets. Talk with your doctor about the 

type of activity that is best for you. If you are 

already active, tell your doctor what you do. Being 

physically active will also help lower your chances 

of having type 2 diabetes—and its problems—in 

the future. Now is the time to develop good habits 

for you and your baby. 

●	 Be as physically active as you can. Aim for at 

least 30 minutes most days of the week. 

●	 Do aerobic activities, which use your large 

muscles to make your heart beat faster. Try 

brisk walking, swimming, dancing, or low-impact 

aerobics. 

Physical activity can help you 

reach your blood glucose targets. 
 

 

●	 Ask your doctor if you may continue some 

higher intensity sports to strengthen muscles 

and bone if you were already doing them before 

becoming pregnant, such as lifting weights or 

jogging. 

●	 Avoid activities in which you can get hit in the 

stomach, such as basketball or soccer. 

●	 Avoid activities that may cause you to fall, such 

as horseback riding or downhill skiing. 

●	 Do not exercise on your back after the first 

trimester. This kind of physical activity can put 

too much pressure on an important vein and 

limit blood flow to your baby. 

For more information about physical activity and 

pregnancy, visit www.womenshealth.gov/pregnancy. 

Insulin Shots 

If you have trouble meeting your blood glucose 

targets, you may need to take a medicine called 

insulin, along with following a healthy meal plan 

and being physically active. Your health care team 

will show you how to give yourself insulin shots. 

Insulin will not harm your baby. 

16 
How will I know whether my blood 

glucose levels are on target? 

Your health care team may ask you to use a small 

device called a blood glucose meter to check your 

blood glucose levels on your own. You will learn 

●	 how to use the meter 

●	 how to prick your finger to obtain a drop of 

blood 

●	 what your blood glucose target range is 

●	 when to check your blood glucose 

Each time you check your blood glucose, 

write down the results. 

17 
 

You may be asked to check your blood glucose 

● when you wake up 

● just before meals 

● 1 or 2 hours after breakfast 

● 1 or 2 hours after lunch 

● 1 or 2 hours after dinner 

This chart shows target blood glucose numbers for 

women who have gestational diabetes. 

Target Blood Glucose Numbers (mg/dL) for 

Women with Gestational Diabetes 

Time of Day Targets 

Before meals and when 

you wake up 

95 or lower 

1 hour after eating 140 or lower 

2 hours after eating 120 or lower 

Ask your doctor whether these targets are right for 

you. 

18 
 

Each time you check your blood glucose, write 

down the results in a record book. Ask your health 

care team for a blood glucose record book or use 

an electronic blood glucose tracking system on 

the Internet or on your cell phone. Always bring 

your blood glucose meter and your record book 

to your checkups so you can talk with your health 

care team about reaching your target blood glucose 

levels. 

Will I need to do other tests on my own? 

Your health care team may teach you how to test 

for chemicals called ketones in your morning urine 

or in your blood. High levels of ketones are a sign 

that your body is using your body fat for energy 

instead of the food you eat. Using fat for energy 

is not recommended 

during pregnancy. 

Ketones may be harmful 

for your baby. 

If your ketone levels are 

high, your doctor may 

suggest that you change 

the type or amount of 

food you eat. Or you 

may need to change your 

meal or snack times. 

19 
 

 

20 

After I have my baby, how can I find 

out whether I still have diabetes? 

You will need to visit your doctor to have a blood 

glucose test 6 to 12 weeks after your baby is born 

to see whether you still have diabetes. For most 

women, blood glucose levels return to normal after 

pregnancy. However, in 5 to 10 percent of women 

with gestational diabetes, blood glucose levels do 

not return to normal. Testing shows that these 

women have diabetes, usually type 2 diabetes. 

They will need to manage their diabetes through 

diet, physical activity, and medicines if needed. 

Even if your blood glucose levels return to normal 

after your pregnancy, your chances of having 

diabetes—usually type 2 diabetes—later in life 

are high. Therefore, you should be tested at least 

every 3 years for diabetes or prediabetes.
 

21 

How can I prevent or delay type 2 

diabetes later in life? 

You can do a lot to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes 

by making these lifestyle changes: 

● Reach and stay at a healthy weight. Try to reach 

your prepregnancy weight 6 to 12 months after 

your baby is born. Then, if you still weigh too 

much, work to lose at least 5 to 7 percent of your 

body weight and keep it off. For example, if you 

weigh 200 pounds, losing 10 to 14 pounds can 

greatly reduce your chance of getting diabetes. 

● Be physically active for at least 30 minutes most 

days of the week. 

● Follow a healthy eating plan. Eat more grains, 

fruits, and vegetables. Cut down on fat and 

calories. Your health care team can help you 

design a meal plan.
22 

●	 Ask your doctor if you should take the diabetes 

medicine metformin. Metformin can lower 

your chances of having type 2 diabetes, 

especially if you are younger and heavier and 

have prediabetes or if you have had gestational 

diabetes. 

These changes can help you enjoy a longer, 

healthier life. Your health care team can give you 

information and support to help you make these 

changes. 

By delaying or preventing type 2 diabetes, you will 

also lower your chances of having heart and blood 

vessel disease and other problems as you get older. 

Talk with your doctor if you are thinking about 

having another baby. For the safety of your baby, 

your blood glucose needs to be at healthy levels 

before you get pregnant again. Your doctor can 

help ensure you are ready for your next child. 
23 

How can I give my baby a healthy start? 

You can give your baby a healthy start by 

breastfeeding. Breast milk provides the best 

nutrition for your baby and protection against 

certain illnesses. 

To help prepare for breastfeeding, 

● talk with your health care team about your plans 

to breastfeed. Ask if the place where you plan 

to deliver your baby has the staff and setup to 

support successful breastfeeding. 

● take a breastfeeding class. Pregnant women who 

learn about how to breastfeed are more likely to 

be successful than those who do not. 

● ask your doctor to recommend a lactation 

consultant to help you with breastfeeding. 

A lactation consultant is trained to help with 

breastfeeding. 

● talk with friends who have breastfed or consider 

joining a breastfeeding support group.
24 

After you have your baby, these steps can help you 

get off to a great start: 

●	 Breastfeed as soon as possible after birth. The 

sucking instinct is very strong within the first 

hour of life. 

●	 If you don’t already have a lactation consultant, 

ask for one at the hospital to come help you. 

●	 Ask the hospital staff not to give your baby other 

food or formula, unless it is medically necessary. 
 

●	 Allow your baby to stay in your hospital room all 

day and night so that you can breastfeed often. 

Or, ask the nurses to bring you your baby for 

feedings. 

●	 Try to avoid giving your baby any pacifiers 

or artificial nipples so your baby gets used to 

latching onto just your breast. 

Many leading health organizations suggest that 

your baby should not have any foods or liquids 

other than breast milk for the first 6 months. After 

the first 6 months, babies can begin to eat other 

foods along with breast milk. 

Read more in Breastfeeding and Breast Milk 

Overview at www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/ 

breastfeeding or visit www.womenshealth.gov/ 

breastfeeding. 

25 
How can I help my child be healthy in 

the future? 

You can help your child be healthy by showing 

your child how to make healthy lifestyle choices, 

including being physically active, limiting screen 

time in front of the TV or video games, eating a 

healthy diet, and staying at a healthy weight. 

Read more about helping your child learn 

healthy habits in Helping Your Child, Tips for 

Parents at www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/ 

child.htm. 

A healthy lifestyle can help 

your child from becoming 

overweight or obese and having 

type 2 diabetes later on. 

26
 
For more information about diabetes, 

contact the National Diabetes Information 

Clearinghouse (NDIC) at 1–800–860–8747 for 

free copies of these publications, or read them 

online at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov: 

Managing Diabetes 

●	 What I need to know about Diabetes Medicines 

●	 What I need to know about Eating and 

Diabetes 

●	 What I need to know about Physical Activity 

and Diabetes 

●	 Your Guide to Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2 

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes 

●	 Am I at risk for type 2 diabetes? Taking Steps to 

Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes 

The National Diabetes Education Program’s 

publications include a tip sheet for women with 

a history of gestational diabetes, available at 

www.yourdiabetesinfo.org or by calling 1–888– 

693–NDEP (1–888–693–6337): 

●	 It’s Never Too Early to Prevent Diabetes. A 

Lifetime of Small Steps for a Healthy Family. 

27 
28 

Points to Remember 

● Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that 

develops only during pregnancy. Diabetes 

means your blood glucose, also called blood 

sugar, is too high. 

● Gestational diabetes happens when your body 

can’t make enough insulin during pregnancy. 

Insulin is a hormone made in your pancreas, 

an organ located behind your stomach. Insulin 

helps your body use glucose for energy and helps 

control your blood glucose levels. 

● You will probably be tested for gestational 

diabetes between weeks 24 and 28 of your 

pregnancy. If you have a higher chance of 

getting gestational diabetes, your doctor may test 

you for diabetes during your first visit after you 

become pregnant. 

● If you have high blood glucose levels because 

your gestational diabetes is not under control, 

your baby will also have high blood glucose.
●	 Untreated or uncontrolled gestational diabetes 

can cause problems for your baby. 

●	 Treating gestational diabetes means taking steps 

to keep your blood glucose levels in a target 

range. 

●	 Even if your blood glucose levels return to 

normal after your pregnancy, your chances of 

getting diabetes—usually type 2 diabetes—later 

in life are high. Therefore, you should be tested 

at least every 3 years for diabetes or prediabetes. 

●	 You can give your baby a healthy start by 

breastfeeding. 

●	 You can help your child be healthy by showing 

your child how to make healthy lifestyle choices, 

including being physically active, limiting screen 

time in front of the TV or video games, eating a 

healthy diet, and staying at a healthy weight. 

29 
 

 

30 

Hope through Research 

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) conducts and 

supports research on diabetes, including type 1, 

type 2, and gestational diabetes. Researchers are 

working to find better ways to diagnose, treat, 

and prevent diabetes and to improve pregnancy 

outcomes for women with diabetes. 

The NIDDK, in collaboration with the Phoenix 

Indian Medical Center, is conducting the Healthy 

Lifestyle in Pregnancy Study, funded under 

National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial 

number NCT01585454, to evaluate how to best 

improve the health of pregnant women and their 

children. They will do so by providing healthy 

lifestyle counseling for women receiving prenatal 

care at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. The 

women will be overweight or obese and may or 

may not have diabetes. 

The Walking Exercise and Nutrition to Reduce 

Diabetes Risk for You (WENDY) Study, funded 

under NIH clinical trial number NCT01247753, 

will be looking to find out whether giving women 

with gestational diabetes both a pedometer and 

nutrition coaching is more successful in preventing 

type 2 diabetes.
31 

 

 

The Pedometers for Gestational Diabetes (PEG) 

Study, funded under NIH clinical trial number 

NCT00862602, also is looking at whether a 

pedometer program for women with gestational 

diabetes is effective in preventing type 2 diabetes 

after delivery. The NIDDK, in collaboration 

with the University of Michigan Health System, 

is adapting a web-based pedometer program to 

women with recent gestational diabetes. The 

program also provides educational information 

about exercise, diet, and nutrition. 

Clinical trials are research studies involving people. 

Clinical trials look at safe and effective new ways to 

prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also 

use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, 

such as improving the quality of life for people 

with chronic illnesses. To learn more about clinical 

trials, why they matter, and how to participate, visit 

the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website 

at www.nih.gov/health/clinicaltrials. For information 

about current studies, visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov. 
Pronunciation Guide 

cesarean (seh-ZAY-ree-uhn)
 

dietitian (dy-uh-TISH-uhn)
 

gestational (jess-TAY-shuhn-uhl)
 

hypoglycemia (HY-poh-gly-SEE-mee-uh)
 

insulin (IN-suh-lin)
 

jaundice (JAWN-diss)
 

ketones (KEE-tohnz)
 

macrosomia (MAK-roh-SOH-mee-uh)
 

obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-stuh-TRISH-uhn)


 (GY-nuh-KOL -uh-jist) 

pancreas (PAN-kree-uhss) 

polycystic ovary syndrome (POL -ee-SISS-tik)

 (OH-vuh-ree) (SIN-drohm) 

preeclampsia (PREE-ee-KLAMP-see-uh) 

respiratory distress syndrome (RESS-pih-ruh­

 TOHR-ee) (dis-TRESS) (SIN-drohm) 

32
 
 

For More Information 

American Association of Diabetes Educators 

200 West Madison Street, Suite 800
 

Chicago, IL 60606
 

Phone: 1–800–338–3633
 

Internet: www.diabeteseducator.org
 

American Diabetes Association 

1701 North Beauregard Street 

Alexandria, VA 22311 

Phone: 1–800–DIABETES (1–800–342–2383) 

Email: askADA@diabetes.org 

Internet: www.diabetes.org 

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 

120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000 

Chicago, IL 60606–6995 

Internet: www.eatright.org 

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child 

Health and Human Development Information 

Resource Center 

P.O. Box 3006 

Rockville, MD 20847 

Phone: 1–800–370–2943 

TTY: 1–888–320–6942 

Fax: 1–866–760–5947 

Email: NICHDInformationResourceCenter@

 mail.nih.gov 

Internet: www.nichd.nih.gov 

33 
Acknowledgments 

Publications produced by the Clearinghouse are 

carefully reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and 

outside experts. The NDIC would like to thank the 

following individuals for providing scientific and 

editorial review or facilitating field-testing of the 

original version of this publication: 

Boyd E. Metzger, M.D.
 

Northwestern University
 

Evanston, IL
 

Susan A. Biastre, R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E.
 

Women & Infants Hospital
 

Providence, RI
 

Beverly Gardner, R.D., L.D.N., C.D.E. 

Outpatient Nutrition & Diabetes Education

 Center
 

Durham Regional Hospital
 

Durham, NC
 

34
 
35 

National Diabetes Education Program 

1 Diabetes Way 

Bethesda, MD 20814–9692 

Phone: 1–888–693–NDEP (1–888–693–6337) 

TTY: 1–866–569–1162 

Fax: 703–738–4929 

Email: ndep@mail.nih.gov 

Internet: www.ndep.nih.gov

www.yourdiabetesinfo.org 

The National Diabetes Education Program is a 

federally funded program sponsored by the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Services’ 

National Institutes of Health and the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention and includes over 

200 partners at the federal, state, and local levels, 

working together to reduce the morbidity and 

mortality associated with diabetes.

National Diabetes 

Information Clearinghouse 

1 Information Way 

Bethesda, MD 20892–3560 

Phone: 1–800–860–8747 

TTY: 1–866–569–1162 

Fax: 703–738–4929 

Email: ndic@info.niddk.nih.gov 

Internet: www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov 

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC) is 

a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive 

and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The NIDDK is part of the 

National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services. Established in 1978, the Clearinghouse 

provides information about diabetes to people with diabetes and 

to their families, health care professionals, and the public. The 

NDIC answers inquiries, develops and distributes publications, 

and works closely with professional and patient organizations and 

Government agencies to coordinate resources about diabetes. 

This publication is not copyrighted. The Clearinghouse 

encourages users of this publication to duplicate and distribute 

as many copies as desired. 

This publication is available at www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov.

This publication may contain information about medications 

and, when taken as prescribed, the conditions they treat. When 

prepared, this publication included the most current information 

available. For updates or for questions about any medications, 

contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration toll-free at 1–888– 

INFO–FDA (1–888–463–6332) or visit www.fda.gov. Consult your 

health care provider for more information. 
NIH Publication No. 13–5129

August 2013

The NIDDK prints on recycled paper with bio-based ink.