The outcome of diabetic pregnancies in relation to the mother's blood sugar level

Abstract

A ten-year patient material of diabetic pregnancies was analyzed. The mean blood sugar level during the last weeks of pregnancy was calculated for each woman and used as an index of the control of the mother's disease. The perinatal mortality rate sank from 23.6 per cent in the group with a mean blood sugar level above 150 mg. per 100 ml. to 15.3 per cent in the intermediate group down to 3.8 per cent in the group with mean blood sugar levels below 100 mg. per 100 ml. The increased survival rate was parallelled by a decreased morbidity in the infants. The incidence of severe malformations in the total series is 11 per cent. Long-standing diabetes and diabetes with angiopathy carries a great increased risk of malformations, 20 to 25 per cent. Two circumstances are stressed: the active management of the pregnant diabetic subject with the goal to reduce the mean blood sugar value below 100 mg. per 100 ml., and the active management of the newborn infant with the early supply of fluid and calories.