The rate of gestational diabetes has trebled in the past 16 years with one in seven women now diagnosed with the disease.

The findings come from a Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study that collated data from the National Hospital Morbidity database to measure trends associated with the disease between 2000 and 2017.

It found 15% of women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes in 2017 compared with just 5% in 2000. 

The steep increase took place ahead of the introduction in 2014 of new reporting guidelines from the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (see graph below).