Dr Sudi Jeyarajakumar1, Dr Vijaya Lakshmi Karanam
1Royal Women's Hospital, Parkville, Australia
Biography:
Biographies to come
Abstract:
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects approximately 18% of pregnancies and markedly influences maternal and perinatal outcomes. While global research has explored the impact of maternal ethnicity on these outcomes, its association with GDM in Australia is poorly understood. Notably, Victoria's data collection lacks maternal ethnicity as one of the demographic factors hence the impact of ethnicity in Victorian context cannot be obtained easily.
Objectives: To ascertain the correlation between maternal ethnicity and perinatal outcomes amongst women with GDM.
Methods: This prospective study at the Royal Women's Hospital, Australia, gathered self reported maternal ethnicity details between January and June 2023. Comprehensive data was collected with regards to the management and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Self-reported maternal ethnicity, categorized by Australian Bureau of Statistics standards, and regression analysis are used to evaluate the impact of ethnicity on perinatal outcomes.
Results: This study involved 555 patients with varied ethnic backgrounds: 24.86% Australian & New Zealander, 2.70% Aboriginal, 14.59% North and Southeast Asian, 14.05% European, 10.81% North African, 23.42% Southern and Central Asian, and 9.55% Sub-Saharan African. Results showed Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander and Southern & Central ethnic groups had significantly higher odds of Small for Gestational Age (SGA) infants, odds ratios of 5.21 (p=0.015) and 3.245 (p=0.004), respectively, compared to Australian & New Zealander patients. Southern & central Asian ethnicity was found to be significantly reduced likelihood of macrosomia compared to Australian & New Zealander population (p=0.008). These findings were significant even after adjusting for maternal age, BMI, GDM diagnosis timing, and management.
Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of considering maternal ethnicity in the context of management of gestational diabetes. These findings emphasize the need for obtaining ethnicity data at the time of booking and tailored antenatal care initiatives and strategies aimed at addressing disparities in perinatal outcomes based on maternal ethnicity.
Keywords
Ethnicity, GDM, perinatal outcomes
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Diabetes: Australian facts, Gestational diabetes. AIHW; 2023. Available from: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-australian-facts/contents/gestational-diabetes