Thanks to an RBWH Foundation grant, thousands of Australian mums-to-be will benefit from the first changes in over a decade to national guidelines for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening.
Under new guidance, aligned with findings from an RBWH Foundation funded study, fewer pregnant women will now need an often unpleasant and time-consuming oral glucose tolerance test.
Advanced Dietitian and Credentialled Diabetes Educator, Associate Professor Susan de Jersey, who contributed to the revised Guidance published by the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society, says the updated recommendations provide a range of screening options that are “practical, sensible and evidence based” and a significant win for pregnant women.
“Routine screening for GDM remains crucial – it supports healthy pregnancies and it identifies women who could benefit from long-term diabetes prevention programs,” Associate Professor de Jersey said.
Until now, the standard test for gestational diabetes mellitus has involved fasting for 12 hours before spending 2-3 hours at a pathology clinic, drinking a glucose solution and having blood samples taken at specific intervals.
But, after RBWH teams spearheaded screening changes to reduce virus exposure for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic, an RBWH Foundation funded study found that the new approach streamlined care with little evidence of impact on maternal or infant outcomes. This option has now been included in the revised recommendations for women who are unable to tolerate the glucose tolerance test.
For mums involved in the RBWH study, whose concerns spanned from over-medicalisation and lack of autonomy in pregnancy to difficulties getting time off work, the benefits are clear.
“[The oral glucose tolerance test] made me physically sick and then, because of my other two pregnancies, I had problems with my pelvic floor,” shared one mum.
“So, when I vomit, I also pee my pants. The most awful experience to have that in a pathology lab.”
For RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske, the ability to influence national clinical guidelines is “a testament to the power of medical philanthropy”.
“With the RBWH Foundation’s backing, researchers have provided options to screen that support women experiencing difficulties in pregnancy. That’s an Australia-wide change that started with the generosity of Queensland donors.”
