The lives of dozens of babies could be saved every year if the federal government subsidises a crucial technology that helps diabetics manage their insulin levels, a world-leading expert says.

Helen Murphy, a UK-based professor whose work convinced the British government to expand access to automated insulin pumps, said Australia should consider doing the same, particularly for pregnant women with type one diabetes.

"This is just such a no-brainer," she told AAP.

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.

Prof Murphy,

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