Follow usPreventing the onset of gestitational diabetes could yield substantial economic and clinical benefits
8 January 2013
New research funded by the HRB shows that universal screening for gestational diabetes, along with early guidance on lifestyle factors, could actually reduce the cost of caring for women who experience diabetes during pregnancy. The study conducted in NUI Galway had found that maternity care costs for pregnant women with gestational diabetes are 34% higher than average, but that early screening and education could cut those costs significantly.
The research explored the determinants of maternity care and costs for a cohort of 4,432 pregnant women in Ireland. In particular, it estimated the independent effects of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), over and above the effects of other potentially important determinants, on mode of delivery, neonatal unit admission, and maternity care costs.
GDM is a form of diabetes which is first diagnosed during pregnancy. It develops in about 12% of pregnancies and is more common in women who are overweight or obese. Previous research has shown that it carries with it increased risks for both mother and baby, but this is the first time the economic implications have been studied in Ireland.
Professor Fidelma Dunne, Consultant Endocrinologist and Head of School of Medicine at NUI Galway, headed-up the Atlantic DIP research and co-authored the study. Professor Dunne pointed out that the cost of interventions, such as universal screening, could potentially be offset by the reduced number of women requiring more costly medical care.
The research, ?Modelling the Independent Effects of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Maternity Care and Costs?, was published this week in the international peer-reviewed journal, Diabetes Care.
More details are available from the press release on the NUI Galway website, and the other links below.
