Improving care pathways for migrant women with gestational diabetes in Scotland (360G-Wellcome-339160_Z_25_Z)

This project aims to improve the management and outcomes of gestational diabetes (GDM) for migrant mothers and children. GDM is a form of diabetes that pregnant women develop with onset around 2nd or 3rd trimester. It is often associated with several complications for maternal and fetal outcomes, including increased odds of pre-eclampsia and caesarean sections, as well as long-term outcomes such as increased odds of cardiometabolic disorders, i.e. diabetes, obesity. Prior studies have flagged ethnicity as a risk factor for GDM complications and migrant women in the UK are known to face important barriers that limit their access to maternity care services. However, there is a lack of high-quality data that explores how these challenges impact antenatal care access and perinatal adverse outcomes. In turn, without more insights, little can be done to advise policymakers and improve care pathways for migrant mothers and their children. I aim to use quantitative and qualitative methods to characterize how care and perinatal outcomes between migrant and UK-born pregnant women differ, and to explore the perspectives and personal experiences of migrant women to develop recommendations towards more equitable and inclusive GDM management in Scotland and the UK at large.