More women diagnosed with gestational diabetes but health outcomes aren’t improving Researchers from the Kolling Institute are calling for a reduction in medical interventions and a more personalised approach for women at risk of gestational diabetes. The call follows an analysis of all births in New South Wales over a 10-year period, which found the incidence of gestational diabetes had more than doubled and now affects up to 15 per cent of pregnant women. Gestational diabetes is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia, diagnosed for the first time in pregnancy. Director of the Kolling’s Women and Babies Research team, Professor Jonathan Morris said women with gestational diabetes have higher rates of complications such as pre- eclampsia and may develop diabetes later in life. The RNSH maternal-fetal medicine specialist said there can be complications for babies of mothers with gestational diabetes too, with these babies more likely to be large. “We have seen a significant increase in the rates of gestational diabetes since 2010 following new recommendations which lowered the threshold for diagnosis,” he said. “While more women have been diagnosed with this type of diabetes, our research team found there’s also been a rise in the number of interventions including planned births or caesarean sections, leading
Professor Jonathan Morris
“We’re now working to develop a personalised risk prediction model for women with gestational diabetes to make it easier for clinicians to identify women who are at risk of complications based on their individual circumstances, rather than applying a universal rule to the timing of delivery for women with this condition,” he said.
to more babies being born before 40 weeks without a clear improvement in health outcomes for women and their babies. “There is a general lack of awareness amongst both clinicians and expectant parents of the short and long-term implications of being born even slightly early. “It’s really important to consider the long-term health of the baby and the health benefits of prolonging the pregnancy especially as rates of gestational diabetes continue to rise.
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