Children whose mothers had diabetes in pregnancy – gestational and pre-existing - do not have an increased risk of developmental vulnerability or lower educational outcomes, a new University of Melbourne study has found.

Diabetes in pregnancy is common, with almost one in five women diagnosed in Australia. The condition is carefully managed to reduce the risk of complications to the mother and baby in utero.

The research team used pregnancy and birth data from Victoria from 2009 to 2021 linked with statewide educational data sourced from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) and the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

AEDC is a national assessment to examine how children have developed by the time they start school, and NAPLAN is an annual national assessment that starts in Grade 3.

“This study should be reassuring for women and parents who experience this common condition while pregnant,” Dr Hannah Gordon, a doctor and PhD candidate with the University of Melbourne’s Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health, said.

“Unlike previous research, we were able to obtain longitudinal insights into the potential implications of this condition by examining outcomes for children at the time they start school and again in Grade 3, which found no meaningful link for children whose mothers were diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant.”

Dr Anthea Lindquist, an obstetrician and senior research fellow at the University of Melbourne, said research in this area has been inconsistent, and more needs to be done to look at other potential impacts for mums and children.

“In the future more research is needed to look at both the short-term and long-term implications of diabetes in pregnancy, especially as diagnostic criteria change over time, but this should be a reassuring finding for women and their healthcare providers."

This statewide cohort study was published in Diabetes Care.