‘Alarming’ data reveals high diabetes risk for pregnant women in English jails

Pregnant women in prison in England are three times more likely to be ­diagnosed with gestational ­diabetes than those on the outside, according to “alarming” new data.

Figures obtained through freedom of information (FOI) requests to NHS trusts providing healthcare to women’s prisons in England found 12% of women receiving care relating to pregnancy in 2023 were diagnosed with the condition, triple the national figure of 4%.

Laura Abbott, associate ­professor in midwifery at Hertfordshire University, said these figures were “alarming but not surprising”.

“We have known for many years that preterm birth is more common among ­incarcerated pregnant women, and this ­further highlights the severe health risks they face,” she said. “Gestational diabetes increases the risk of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, serious conditions that require early detection, good nutrition and careful obstetric management, which is extremely difficult in a prison setting. It can also increase the risk of stillbirth.”

There were 215 pregnant women in prison in England between April 2023 and March 2024, according to figures published by the Ministry of Justice. There were 52 births while in custody, 98% of which took place in hospital.

The NHS and Prison Ombudsman categorise all pregnancies in prison as high risk. Pregnant women in prison are seven times more likely to have a stillbirth and twice as likely to go into premature labour, according to data from FOI requests in 2022. In 2019, newborn Aisha Cleary died at HMP Bronzefield after her mother, who was in prison on remand, was left to give birth alone in her cell.

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Source: The Guardian, 23 February 2025