One in eight mothers in England is now diagnosed with gestational diabetes, with diagnoses rising by 60 percent in just five years, according to a major study published on Aug. 3. Researchers found that rates of gestational diabetes increased from around eight percent of pregnancies in 2018 to more than 12 percent in 2022.
The sharpest rises were seen among some ethnic minority groups and women living in deprived areas. The highest increases were reported among Asian women, where rates reached around 23 percent, and among women living in the most deprived areas, where they reached around 14 percent. The study also identified marked inequalities in pregnancy outcomes across ethnic and socioeconomic groups: Black mothers were more likely to experience an emergency Caesarean birth, women living in deprived areas were more likely to give birth preterm, and Asian mothers were more likely to have babies born small for gestational age.
Researchers analysed routinely collected NHS maternity data covering over 2.3 million mothers and around 2.8 million births across 184 hospitals between 2018 and 2022. Among higher-risk groups, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes was associated with a further increase in the risk of preterm birth.
Rebecca Reynolds, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said, "This is the first time we have managed to estimate the number of women with gestational diabetes in the UK. The rising number of women being diagnosed is concerning and impacts on maternity services delivery which are already challenged. Importantly, gestational diabetes also increases risk of future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so better preventative measures are needed to help support these women post partum." Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said, "Big data research studies like this... are uncovering a concerning rise in conditions which raise people's chances of having a future heart attack or stroke... If you are a woman who has had diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy, it is especially important to attend health checks when invited."
Researchers say rising maternal age, increasing rates of obesity and improvements in data capture are likely contributors to the growing prevalence of gestational diabetes. Changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding screening did not meaningfully affect overall trends; experts say broader underlying changes explain most cases rather than changes in testing practice.
The study was published by BMJ Medicine and involved researchers from King's College London, University of Glasgow, University of Warwick as well as HDRUK Diabetes Data Catalyst partners.
