December 14th, 2009 
Chinese and Korean-American women are at a higher risk than Caucasian and African-American women of developing diabetes during pregnancy, according to a new study. The study, by researchers at Kaiser Permanente, also found that Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans and Samoans were also at a higher-than-average risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy, while Caucasian, native-American and African-American women have a lower than average risk.
Untreated diabetes during pregnancy can lead to complications to the women and fetus. It can also lead to the child becoming obese later in life, the researchers said in a statement.
According to the study, as many as 10 percent of women of Chinese and Korean descent could be at risk of developing the disease during pregnancy.
The study is published in the journal Ethnicity and Disease.
