Grants

2015: HRB Knowledge Exchange and Dissemination Scheme (KEDS)

Awarding body: HRB
Value: €26,000.00
Grant timeline:

This was awarded to the application entitled “High quality prepregnancy care is essential for women with diabetes”.
The planned research activities under this grant are as follows:

1. Arrange a national information seminar for women with diabetes to focus on the benefits of prepregnancy care and pregnancy planning.
2. Create and distribute a diet booklet for women with diabetes who are pregnant or planning pregnancy.
3. Develop an online website with user-friendly information for women with diabetes.
4. Arrange a meeting of healthcare professionals and women with diabetes to encourage the development and audit of high quality prepregnancy care programmes nationally.
This work began in November 2015.

2015: HRB Reward

Awarding body: HRB
Value: €799,903.00
Grant timeline: Planned start date: February 2016

This award is to support a randomized controlled trial entitled “EMERGE: A randomized placebo controlled trial of the Effectiveness of MEtformin in addition to usual care in the Reduction of Gestational diabetes mellitus Effects”
We will evaluate whether the initiation of metformin at the time of gestational diabetes diagnosis reduces the need for insulin, and reduces the development of excessive GWG compared to placebo. We will document the impact on perinatal outcomes and postpartum maternal glucose. A detailed cost benefit and cost utility analysis will be conducted.

The planned start date for this study is February 2016.

2010: HRB Award

Awarding body: HRB
Value: €260,000.00
Grant timeline: To be completed July 2016

This award was to perform the study entitled “A prospective study to evaluate the benefits of a regional diabetes pre-pregnancy care (PPC) programme”. Region specific prospective data collected through ATLANTIC DIP in 2006/7 shows only 28% of women received PPC, 49% had suboptimal glucose control at the start of pregnancy (HbA1C > 7%) and only 43% had folic acid in preparation for pregnancy. This present state may be due to lack of awareness and knowledge but is also contributed to by inadequate provision of such a service. We planned to develop and deliver a region specific intervention programme of PPC. We will assess the uptake and effectiveness of this service on improving pregnancy outcome and reducing pregnancy complications in women with diabetes.

Work on this grant will be completed in July 2016. Following this award, prepregnancy care is now available as routine care along the Irish Atlantic Seaboard. Further information on the study outcomes is available in our publications.