We thank Flack and colleagues for their detailed comments on our review.1 The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of 5–10% was based on a prospective study by Moses and colleagues using the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society criteria, which found a prevalence in Wollongong, New South Wales, of 8.6–10.5% (9.6% overall).2 Using the more recently adopted International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups diagnostic definition in the same study, the prevalence of GDM was 13.0%. However, the cohort primarily comprised Australian women of European descent and the data were likely influenced by the slightly older maternal age; therefore, it may not reflect the national prevalence of GDM. Although other studies have produced a similar figure (eg, 13.6%),3 data from the National Perinatal Data Collection provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare indicated a prevalence of 4.8%.4 Therefore, a range of 5–10% was deemed an adequate approximation. We agree with Flack and colleagues that certain multi-ethnic populations (eg, Bankstown-Lidcombe) will have higher GDM prevalence rates.
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- 2. Moses RG, Morris GJ, Petocz P, et al. The impact of potential new diagnostic criteria on the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus in Australia. Med J Aust 2011; 194: 338-340. <MJA full text>
- 3. Sacks DA, Hadden DR, Maresh M, et al. Frequency of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) at collaborating centres based on IADPSG consensus panel recommended criteria: the Hyperglycaemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) study. Diabetes Care 2012; 35: 526-528.
- 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Diabetes in pregnancy: its impact on Australian women and their babies (AIHW Cat. No. CVD 52; Diabetes Series No. 14). Canberra: AIHW, 2010.
- 5. Chakera AJ, Spyer G, Vincent N, et al. The 0.1% of the population with glucokinase monogenic diabetes can be recognized by clinical characteristics in pregnancy: the Atlantic Diabetes in Pregnancy cohort. Diabetes Care 2014; 37: 1230-1236.
No relevant disclosures.