Experts warn mothers and babies at growing risk without better care for type 2 diabetes
Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.
University of Leicester
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Professor Claire Meek
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Researchers from across the UK and Ireland are calling for urgent action to improve care for women with early-onset type 2 diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.
The call follows a new consensus statement developed by an expert group of clinicians and researchers from the UK and Ireland.
The statement sets out critical gaps in current knowledge and clear priorities for future research to better support women and their babies.
Clinical Senior Lecturer in Women’s Health and Diabetes at King’s College London, Dr Sara White explains: “Type 2 diabetes in women of reproductive age is rising, yet evidence to guide safe and effective care across pregnancy is limited.
“From the experience of clinicians and women living with diabetes, we know that being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at a young age increases the risk of serious problems during pregnancy, as well as long-term health problems for both mothers and their babies.
“Even so, most research has focused on managing blood sugar during pregnancy. Much less attention has been given to helping women prepare before pregnancy, supporting them after birth, and understanding the wider social factors that affect health outcomes.”
The consensus statement, published in Diabetic Medicine on 16 March 2026 brings together evidence from three large systematic reviews, alongside expert and audience discussion from the Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference in 2025.
It highlights an urgent need to rethink how care is designed and delivered for this group of women.
Professor of Chemical Pathology and Diabetes in Pregnancy at the University of Leicester, Claire Meek, who receives funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), said the lack of evidence leaves both women and clinicians navigating pregnancy with too little support.
She said: “Women with early-onset type 2 diabetes are often managing complex health needs at a young age, yet the systems around them are not designed with that reality in mind.
“We need coordinated, evidence-based care that starts before pregnancy, continues after birth, and recognises the wider social and cultural barriers many women face.”
The group identifies several priority areas where research and service change could make an immediate difference. These include improving access to preconception care, supporting healthy weight before, during and after pregnancy and strengthening postnatal follow-up to reduce long-term risks such as cardiovascular disease.
The statement also stresses the importance of addressing inequalities linked to deprivation, ethnicity, language barriers and access to healthcare.
Researchers emphasise that listening to women’s experiences must sit at the heart of future work. Many women report feeling judged or stigmatised, poorly informed about pregnancy risks, and unsupported once specialist maternity care ends.
Dr Rita Forde Senior Lecturer, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork added: “By setting out a shared research agenda we hope to accelerate studies co-developed with women and communities that will improve outcomes for these women and their future children.”
The consensus statement calls on funders, policymakers and healthcare leaders to act now, warning that without targeted investment, preventable harms to women and babies will continue to rise alongside the growing prevalence of early-onset type 2 diabetes.
Researchers belonging to the following institutions contributed to the consensus statement: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, the University of Leicester, Newcastle University, King’s College London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Glasgow, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, and in Ireland - University College Cork, and the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The NIHR Leicester BRC is part of the NIHR and hosted by the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust in partnership with the University of Leicester, Loughborough University and University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group.
Journal
Diabetic Medicine
Method of Research
Systematic review
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
A call to action: A consensus statement on knowledge gaps and research priorities on the management of women with early onset type 2 diabetes in the preconception, pregnancy and postnatal periods
Article Publication Date
13-Mar-2026
New study fills research gap in food safety to better protect pregnant people from Listeria
Study develops first biologically plausible dose-response models specific to Listeria and stillbirth risk during pregnancy
Herdon, VA, March 17, 2026 — Listeria is the third-leading cause of death among bacterial foodborne pathogens in the U.S. and pregnant individuals bear a disproportionate share of that burden. Yet the scientific models used to set food safety policy have rarely been designed with pregnant people specifically in mind. A new study to be published in Risk Analysis aims to change that.
Each year, approximately 1,250 Americans contract listeriosis, the illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes. The disease carries a staggering 86% hospitalization rate and is fatal in approximately 14% of cases. For pregnant individuals, the stakes are even higher: pregnancy-associated cases account for 14% of all listeriosis cases, and when listeria reaches the fetus, it causes stillbirth in 25% of those infections. Many pregnant individuals experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, or none at all, while the bacterium silently crosses the placenta. Recent outbreaks in 2021-2023 linked to ice cream, queso fresco, and enoki mushrooms resulted in five stillbirths in just three years.
Researchers Tyler Stump, Carly Gomez, Ph.D. and Jade Mitchell, Ph.D. of Michigan State University set out to fill this gap. By analyzing animal studies that tracked how pregnant hosts respond to specific doses of L. monocytogenes, the team developed new biologically plausible dose-response models — one for maternal infection and one for stillbirth — built on data from guinea pigs and gerbils, which share key biological traits with humans relevant to listeria pathogenesis.
The study found that fetal brain infection is a more precise and reliable indicator of stillbirth risk than direct stillbirth outcomes alone. Fetal brain infection was present in every observed stillbirth and absent in all non-stillbirth cases, making it a verifiable surrogate endpoint that significantly strengthened the model’s accuracy. By pooling this data with other stillbirth datasets, the researchers produced a better-fitting model than any previously available.
“Public health agencies should use population-specific models like these when developing food safety guidance rather than applying generic population estimates,” said Mitchell, professor in the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University. “As listeria outbreaks continue to occur, having more precise risk assessment tools will support more informed and protective food safety policies.”
The authors caution that pregnancy involves a unique combination of physiological, behavioral, and clinical variables that cannot be captured by applying general immunocompromised population models. Their work calls on public health agencies to use population-specific models when developing food safety guidelines for sensitive groups.
FDA guidance recommends that pregnant individuals avoid high-risk foods including unpasteurized cheeses, raw sprouts, deli meats, hot dogs, and smoked seafood unless heated thoroughly. Listeria is unusual among foodborne pathogens because it can grow even under refrigeration, making careful food handling particularly important. Symptoms of listeriosis such as fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea may appear anywhere from one day to several weeks after exposure.
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About Society for Risk Analysis
The Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) is a multidisciplinary, global organization dedicated to advancing the science and practice of risk analysis. Founded in 1980, SRA brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from diverse fields including engineering, public health, environmental science, economics, and decision theory. The Society fosters collaboration and communication on risk assessment, management, and communication to inform decision-making and protect public well-being. SRA supports a wide range of scholarly activities, publications, and conferences. Learn more at www.sra.org.
Journal
Risk Analysis
Article Title
Development of dose-response models for the ingestion exposure route and stillbirth outcome for Listeria monocytogenes
Article Publication Date
17-Mar-2026
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