Gestational diabetes affects 1 in 8 mothers in England, data reveal

One in eight mothers in England is now diagnosed with gestational diabetes, with diagnoses rising by 60% in just five years, according to a major study published in the journal BMJ Medicine.

Researchers found that rates of gestational diabetes—a condition that develops during pregnancy and can cause serious complications for both mother and baby—increased from around 8% of pregnancies in 2018 to more than 12% in 2022.

The sharpest rises were seen among some ethnic minority groups and women living in deprived areas.

Experts say the findings highlight an urgent need to strengthen maternity services and improve support for women at highest risk.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common complication arising during pregnancy. The condition occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels during pregnancy.

GDM is associated with an increased risk of complications including preterm birth, emergency cesarean section and babies being born either larger or smaller than expected for their gestational age. It is also linked to long-term health risks for both mothers and their children.

Researchers analyzed routinely collected NHS maternity data covering more than 2.3 million mothers and around 2.8 million births across 184 hospitals in England between 2018 and 2022.

The highest increases in gestational diabetes were seen among Asian women, where rates reached around 23%, and among women living in the most deprived areas, where they reached around 14%.

The study also found marked inequalities in pregnancy outcomes across ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Black mothers were more likely to experience an emergency cesarean 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.

Among these higher-risk groups, a diagnosis of gestational diabetes was associated with a further increase in the risk of preterm birth.

Researchers say rising maternal age, increasing rates of obesity and improvements in data capture are likely contributors to the growing prevalence of gestational diabetes.

The study also found that changes to gestational diabetes screening introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic did not meaningfully affect overall trends in diagnosis. Experts say the rise in cases reflects broader underlying changes rather than changes in testing practice.

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 affects maternity service delivery, which is already challenged.

“Importantly, gestational diabetes also increases the risk of future type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so better preventive measures are needed to help support these women postpartum.”

Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, said, “Big data research studies like this, which can now analyze millions of health care records, are uncovering a concerning rise in conditions that raise people’s chances of having a future heart attack or stroke. Gestational diabetes often goes away after pregnancy, but it can increase women’s risk of future cardiovascular disease.

“Health care professionals who want to fully understand people’s risk of heart attack and stroke should routinely ask women about risk factors unique to them, such as diabetes or high blood pressure in pregnancy—even if that pregnancy was decades earlier. 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.”

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Sadie Harley

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Andrew Zinin

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