Australia’s peak diabetes organisations have welcomed new recommendations from the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS) that update the way gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is diagnosed, saying the changes will help better target care to the women who need it most.

The updated guidelines, published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, recommend higher blood glucose thresholds for diagnosing GDM and introduce more tailored screening for women with known risk factors early in pregnancy. ADIPS said these evidence-based changes aim to ensure women and their babies receive appropriate care without over-medicalising pregnancies where the risk of complications is low.

Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association joins with ADIPS in supporting the changes, as have other peak health bodies, reflecting broad consensus across diabetes management. 

For the first time, Australia’s leading experts in GDM including general practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, diabetes clinicians and pathologists, have united behind a national approach to improve the consistency and clarity of GDM diagnosis. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in maternal health and diabetes care.

More than 280,000 women give birth in Australia each year, and GDM affects nearly one in five pregnancies. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment are critical in reducing the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth, and in helping women avoid long-term health issues such as type 2 diabetes.

It’s critically important that every woman who develops GDM is identified and supported with the care she needs. These updated guidelines will facilitate that goal by focusing healthcare resources where they can make the biggest difference on women and babies most at risk.

The recommendations follow a decade of evolving research and reflect the lived experience of women who have had GDM, alongside the clinical insights of the country’s leading diabetes and maternity care professionals.

Implementation of the new recommendations will be rolled out across hospitals and primary care settings over the coming months.