Diabetes in pregnancy: its impact on Australian women and their babies

Diabetes is known to adversely affect women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and delivery. These adverse effects differ by type of diabetes and between population groups. This report is the first to explore these differences among Australian mothers and their babies at a national level, showing that: diabetes affects about 1 in 20 pregnancies; mothers with pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and their babies, are at highest risk of adverse effects; mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus, and their babies, are also at increased risk; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and their babies are more likely to experience adverse effects than non-Indigenous mothers and their babies. This report is a useful resource for policymakers, researchers, clinicians and others interested in the effect of diabetes on the health of Australian mothers and their babies.