Researchers at the Royal Brisbane and women's hospital in Brisbane are developing a new, more efficient test to detect gestational diabetes.
Currently, testing for gestational diabetes requires women to fast for 8 to 14 hours, then take 3 blood tests in 3 hours.
The new test was developed in response to safety concerns relating to coronavirus. Not only does the current test potentially put pregnant women at a greater risk of contracting the virus, it also takes up much needed pathology resources.
Around 15 percent of pregnant Australians are diagnosed with gestational diabetes every year, requiring 300,000 time-consuming oral glucose tests to be performed.