Dozens of babies could be saved every year under a simple policy change in Australia, with a doctor-turned-MP and a world leading diabetes expert calling for greater access to insulin pumps.
In a visit to Australia, Helen Murphy has described expanded access to automated pumps for diabetics, particularly pregnant women, as "a no brainer".
Many diabetics rely on either an insulin pump or manual injections, but have to calculate the precise insulin dosage themselves, sometimes multiple times a day.
Automated insulin delivery systems, or AIDs, combine an insulin pump with a glucose monitor and use sophisticated algorithms to calculate insulin doses.
Professor Murphy, whose visit is funded by medical devices company Ypsomed, said the technology was a game changer because it allowed diabetics to better manage their blood sugar levels.
"Currently ... almost every single bite they eat, every bit of activity they do, they're having to be continuously doing these mental calculations, and in all honesty, they're incredibly difficult," she told AAP.
But access to AIDs is fairly limited in Australia, largely because of the cost.
Insulin pumps, a key part of the system, can cost between $6000 and $8000, according to advocacy group Diabetes Australia.
Prof Murphy said allowing people younger than 40 to access subsidised pumps would be a smart step forward, as the cost of the policy would be offset by reduced strain on the health care system.
She said it would particularly benefit pregnant women, whose unborn children were highly sensitive to any changes in blood sugar levels.
The UK's adoption of her recommendation is estimated to have saved the lives of 80 to 100 babies every year.
While data for Australia was scant, Prof Murphy suggested 40 to 50 babies would be saved annually if the measure was introduced.
"Women living with type one diabetes, they're still three to four times more likely to have babies that die, and about twice as likely to have babies with major birth defects," the endocrinology expert said.
The federal government only offers subsidies for Australians younger than 21.
Labor backbencher Mike Freelander, who worked as a doctor before entering Parliament, has called for the federal government to help diabetics access the crucial technology.
A 2024 parliamentary inquiry chaired by Dr Freelander urged the government to consider expanding access to Australians older than 40 as an initial step, before opening eligibility to all age groups.
Dr Freelander said he stood by the recommendation.
"Subsidies for new technology, such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring devices, should be made available to as many people with Type 1 diabetes as soon as possible," he said in a statement to AAP.
"This will lead to reduced hospitalisations, reduced complications, and larger health cost savings."
A government spokesman said it was considering the recommendations from Dr Freelander's report and argued Labor had a "proud record" of helping Australians with diabetes.
