Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus diagnosed during pregnancy: a clinical and prognostic study

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Abstract
The study concerns the clinical outcome and later prognosis (regarding permanent insulin treatment) of patients who develop insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus during pregnancy (which is different from gestational diabetes). Sixty-three such patients (27±1 (SEM) years old) were delivered at the Copenhagen Centre for Diabetes and Pregnancy during the years 1966–1980. Obstetric complications such as toxaemia were seen in 9.5% of these study patients and the perinatal mortality was 6.3%, both percentages being higher than in the general population (1.1%,p−7 and 1.0%,p−3, respectively), but similar to those observed in patients with Type 1 diabetes diagnosed before pregnancy. In contrast, the frequency of malformations was 1.6%, the same as in the general population (1.4%), but lowerthan that seen in patients with long-standing diabetes (8.3%,pp≤0.03): low age, first parity, not overweight, and high blood glucose level at diagnosis. These prognostic parameters should be considered in obligatory, clinical follow-up plans for such patients.