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Preconceptional treatment with insulin infusion pumps in insulin-dependent diabetic women with particular reference to prevention of congenital malformations

Abstract. Severe congenital malformations occur more often in infants of diabetic mothers than in infants of non-diabetic mothers. Fetuses exhibiting early fetal growth delay are in increased risk to be malformed and the early fetal growth rate seems to be related to the degree of metabolic control around the time of conception and in the early pregnancy.

Nine insulin-dependent diabetic women (White classes B–F) were treated by means of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) initiated at least two months prior to conception and continued throughout pregnancy in order to evaluate the influence of optimized metabolic control on the course and outcome of diabetic pregnancy. Eleven conventionally treated pregnant diabetics (White classes B–D) served as controls. In the pump group the mean blood glucose values in the 4 weeks immediately before and after the conception were 7.7 ± 0.2 mmol/l and 8.0 ± 0.3 mmol/l, respectively, the HbA_1c was 7.3 ± 0.5% at the time of conception and 6.9 ± 0.2% 6–10 weeks later. In the control group the HbA_1c 6–10 weeks after conception was 7.2 ± 0.5%. In the pump group two fetuses exhibited early growth delay while all of the 11 fetuses in the control group were of normal early growth. There were no malformations in either group. All pregnancies were uncomplicated except for one case of toxaemia in the control group.

Thus, during CSII treatment the metabolic control was improved in all patients. A possible beneficial effect of this improved control on the early fetal growth delay was not demonstrated. Both groups are, however, still small and definite conclusions must await further results.