Background
The Northern Territory (NT) covers a vast geographical area and has a relatively small population. There were approximately 3566 births annually in the NT 2001 – 2005, of whom 38% were Indigenous babies. There is an urgent need for accurate data on diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) in the NT, as the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is much higher among Indigenous than non-Indigenous women in their reproductive years. DIP carries serious risks and provides an early opportunity for intervention in the life course for mother and baby [1-4]. We have developed a partnership between researchers, health care providers and policy organisations in the NT to address this issue.
The NT Diabetes in Pregnancy Partnership Project, which has received NHMRC funding for 5 years aims to:
1. Improve systems and service delivery for all women in the NT with diabetes in pregnancy in order to improve outcomes for mother and baby.
2. Reduce the gap between evidence and practice in relation to screening, management and post-partum follow-up of women with diabetes in pregnancy and their baby.
3. Establish systems that enable close monitoring of relevant clinical outcomes for mothers and babies, thereby providing reliable information around future health risks for the NT population.
Methodology
Establishment of NT diabetes in pregnancy clinical register.
Developing and evaluating an appropriate model of care for diabetes in pregnancy.
Instituting early universal detection of diabetes in pregnancy
Enhancing capacity of health care professionals in identifying and managing diabetes in pregnancy.
Delivering a detailed research component, PANDORA (Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia) to accurately assess antenatal characteristics and neonatal outcomes of diabetes in pregnancy.
Current Data
Sites |
Project Stage |
Consented Clinical Register |
Consented PANDORA |
Refused |
Darwin |
Establishment/Active Recruitment |
76 |
57 |
7 |
Alice Springs/ Katherine /Gove |
Establishment/Consultation |
Conclusion: This project will be working towards defining the severity of diabetes in pregnancy in the NT and, most importantly, to improve health outcomes for mothers and their babies.