Gestational diabetes, a glucose tolerance disorder of variable severity which occurs or is diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy, constitutes a public health problem because of its frequency (1 to 6% of all pregnancies) and its short-or long term consequences for the foetus and/or the mother. There is as yet still no consensus concerning screening and diagnosis criteria, therapeutic management and the reality of the disease. This population is a high risk population of diabetes mellitus, especially of type 2 diabetes. We could think that the introduction of specific prevention programs in this group could delay or avoid diabetes mellitus and its complications. The mechanisms which could explain gestational diabetes are the same as type 2 diabetes mellitus. We could speculate that these two diseases are identical for alterations in carbohydrate metabolism, but at different stages. It has been reported that the offspring of gestational diabetics mothers are at risk of obesity and glucose intolerance. Therapeutic management of the mother and/or the offspring should be better defined. The screening for gestational diabetes provides an opportunity of identify a large population of women and children at risk of diabetes. It should be possible to avoid diabetes mellitus by specific therapeutic programs in these populations.