The top 10 questions in diabetes & pregnancy | SHEER

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The top 10 questions for research in diabetes and pregnancy have now been identified by hundreds of women, their families and healthcare professionals in the UK:

Joint first place. How can diabetes technology be used to improve pregnancy, birth, and mother and child health outcomes? Joint first place. What is the best test to diagnose diabetes in pregnant women? 3. For women with diabetes, what is the best way to manage blood sugar levels using diet and lifestyle during pregnancy? 4. What are the emotional and mental well-being needs of women with diabetes before, during, and after pregnancy, and how can they best be supported? 5. When is it safe for pregnant women with diabetes to give birth at full term compared with early delivery via induction or elective caesarean? 6. What are the specific postnatal care and support needs of women with diabetes and their infants? 7. What is the best way to test for and treat diabetes in late pregnancy i.e. after 34 weeks? 8. What is the best way to reduce the risk or prevent women with gestational diabetes developing other types of diabetes any time after pregnancy? 9. What are the labour and birth experiences of women with diabetes, and how can their choices and shared decision making be enhanced? 10. How can care and services be improved for women with diabetes who are planning pregnancy? — The top 10 questions for research in diabetes and pregnancy
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Congratulations to all who took part! We hope that everyone finds at least one of their own priorities reflected in the final top 10.

The priorities will be shared with funding bodies, research institutes and scientific societies to use them as a starting point for deciding future research projects and programmes.

'When these priorities are acted on, we are making sure that research will deliver the most impact and value for women and their families, closing the loop of the process' - Dr Göher Ayman, project co-lead at NPEU

We would like to thank everyone who contributed through the surveys and took part in the final workshop, the PSP funders the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation and the University of Oxford (John Fell Fund and Nuffield Department of Population Health), the PSP steering group members and partners Diabetes UK, JDRF the type 1 diabetes charity, James Lind Alliance, and the many people and organisations who supported at various stages throughout the project, without whom this project would not have been successful.