Pregnancy in Women with Diabetes

Abstract

The management of diabetes in the pregnant woman has important ramifications for the well-being of the mother and the fetus. Most women with diabetes can now safely undertake pregnancy. In recent years advances in medical and obstetric care have greatly improved the outlook for women with diabetes during pregnancy and for their offspring in the perinatal period. Nevertheless, perinatal morbidity remains a significant problem and there is a persistent increase in the incidence of congenital malformations in infants born to diabetic mothers. Maternal glycemic control is a central issue in the diabetes-associated increase in perinatal complications. This article discusses aspects of diabetes management during pregnancy that relate to assessing the risk for perinatal morbidity, and the utilization of modern approaches for normalizing the metabolic milieu and assessing the efficacy of the anti-diabetic regimen.