Prediction of large-for-gestational-age infant by fetal growth charts and hemoglobin A1c level in pregnancy complicated by pregestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the ability of three fetal growth charts (Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF), Hadlock and National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) race/ethnicity-specific) to predict large-for-gestational age (LGA) at birth in pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes, and to determine whether inclusion of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level improves the predictive performance of the growth charts. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of individuals with Type-1 or Type-2 diabetes with a singleton pregnancy that resulted in a non-anomalous live birth. Fetal biometry was performed between 28 + 0 and 36 + 6 weeks of gestation. The primary exposure was suspected LGA, defined as estimated fetal weight ≥ 90th percentile using the Hadlock (Formula C), FMF and NICHD growth charts. The primary outcome was LGA at birth, defined as birth weight ≥ 90th percentile, using 2017 USA natality reference data. The performance of the three growth charts to predict LGA at birth, alone and in combination with HbA1c as a continuous measure, was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. RESULTS: Of 358 assessed pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes (34% with Type 1 and 66% with Type 2), 147 (41%) had a LGA infant at birth. Suspected LGA was identified in 123 (34.4%) by the Hadlock, 152 (42.5%) by the FMF and 152 (42.5%) by the NICHD growth chart. The FMF growth chart had the highest sensitivity (77% vs 69% (NICHD) vs 63% (Hadlock)) and the Hadlock growth chart had the highest specificity (86% vs 76% (NICHD) and 82% (FMF)) for predicting LGA at birth. The FMF growth chart had a significantly higher AUC (0.79 (95% CI, 0.74-0.84)) for LGA at birth compared with the NICHD (AUC, 0.72 (95% CI, 0.68-0.77); P < 0.001) and Hadlock (AUC, 0.75 (95% CI, 0.70-0.79); P < 0.01) growth charts. Prediction of LGA improved for all three growth charts with the inclusion of HbA1c measurement in comparison to each growth chart alone (P < 0.001 for all); the FMF growth chart remained more predictive of LGA at birth (AUC, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.90)) compared with the NICHD (AUC, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73-0.84)) and Hadlock (AUC, 0.81 (95% CI, 0.76-0.86)) growth charts. CONCLUSIONS: The FMF fetal growth chart had the best predictive performance for LGA at birth in comparison with the Hadlock and NICHD race/ethnicity-specific growth charts in pregnant individuals with pregestational diabetes. Inclusion of HbA1c improved further the prediction of LGA for all three charts. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Antepartum fetal surveillance in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Pregnancy in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased perinatal morbidity. Whether the perinatal mortality rate, particularly the fetal death rate, is greater in these patients remains controversial. The present study was undertaken to review the role of antepartum fetal monitoring in 69 patients with GDM controlled by diet only (class A) and 28 women requiring insulin therapy (class AB). Hypertension complicated 21.6% of these pregnancies. Antepartum fetal surveillance included outpatient nonstress testing, urinary estriol assays, maternal assessment of fetal activity, and clinical estimation of fetal weight. All insulin-requiring patients as well as fourteen class A patients with identifiable risk factors underwent testing. No perinatal deaths occurred. Only six patients required intervention for suspected fetal jeopardy and four of these women had hypertension. Macrosomia was correctly identified in only 6 of 16 infants weighing 4000 g or more. This study suggests that, in GDM, an outpatient program of fetal testing, using primarily the nonstress test and maternal assessment of fetal activity, can be employed in patients requiring insulin as well as class A patients with identifiable risk factors. This protocol resulted in a low rate of unnecessary intervention and good perinatal outcome. The risks for abnormal antepartum testing results appear increased in GDM with hypertension and prolonged pregnancy.

Sonographic measurement of fetal humeral soft tissue thickness in pregnancy complicated by GDM.

Sonographic measurement of fetal humeral soft tissue thickness (STT) was performed in 93 women with gestational diabetes mellitus during the third trimester. STT measurements revealed accelerated growth in large for gestational age infants at 31 wk gestation. This new measurement proved to be the most accurate predictor of excessive fetal size compared with other standard ultrasound parameters (sensitivity 82%, specificity 95%, positive predictive value 90%). Asymmetrical growth was more evident in infants with large STT measurements in utero. Humeral STT measurement may distinguish large fetuses with truncal obesity from those that are symmetrically large, thereby allowing prediction of risk for birth trauma before delivery.

Effects of identifying a high risk population.

Gestational diabetic women who are at greater risk for perinatal loss include those patients with the history of a previous intrauterine death, an elevated fasting glucose level, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or prolonged gestation. These patients do require a program of antepartum fetal surveillance to prevent intrauterine deaths. Within the broad category of gestational diabetes, however, another group of patients may be defined who can be followed safely to term with no higher perinatal mortality than that observed in the general population. Such women have been designated Class A diabetic by White, indicating that they have normal fasting glucose levels, an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test, and require only minimal dietary regulation. Fasting glucose levels must be followed closely in Class A patients to detect those who develop overt diabetes.

The gestational diabetes mellitus conferences. Three are history: focus on the fourth.

This study reviews the summary and recommendations of the first three International Workshops Conferences on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and highlights areas of controversy requiring further research and discussion. The International Workshop Conferences on GDM held in 1979, 1984, and 1990 established a definition of GDM, confirmed the value of universal screening with a 50-g oral glucose load, recommended use of the 100-g oral glucose tolerance test with interpretation according to the diagnostic criteria of O'Sullivan and Mahan, and emphasized the importance of classification after pregnancy with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test with classification according to the criteria of the National Diabetes Data Group or the World Health Organization. Recommendations for management have included nutritional counseling with limitation of the intake of concentrated sweets, monitoring maternal glucose levels to maintain the fasting plasma glucose < 105 mg/dl and the 2-h postprandial plasma glucose < 120 mg/dl, initiating insulin therapy if treatment with diet fails, and prohibiting the use of oral hypoglycemic agents. Antepartum fetal surveillance with emphasis on the evaluation of fetal growth using clinical and ultrasonographic techniques to detect macrosomia were also proposed. Although much has been accomplished in the first three conferences, areas of continued controversy include establishing a definition and method of detection for GDM that can be agreed on worldwide; defining the appropriate glucose levels to initiate dietary and/or insulin therapy; preventing macrosomia, as well as detecting and managing it, to reduce the cesarean delivery rate; and determining the long-term consequences for the mother with GDM and her infant through further studies.

Current patterns of neonatal morbidity and mortality in infants of diabetic mothers.

Recent advances in antepartum fetal evaluation have contributed to a marked reduction in fetal deaths in pregnancies complicated by overt diabetes mellitus. To determine the effect of these changes on neonatal morbidity and mortality, a retrospective analysis of complications in 322 infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) in White classes B--R was undertaken. The majority (89 per cent) of the IDM were delivered at term with a mean gestational age of 38 weeks. Neonatal morbidity correlated significantly with gestational age, occurring in 80 per cent of the preterm and 40 per cent of the term infants. The overall incidence of complications was: hyperbilirubinemia 37 per cent, hypoglycemia 31 per cent, hypocalcemia 13 per cent, polycythemia 8 per cent, and necrotizing enterocolitis 2 per cent. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) occurred in 9 per cent and congenital malformations in 6 per cent of the infants. Nine infants died, and four of these deaths were due to anomalies. These data indicate that (1) a reduction in fetal mortality has been accompanied by a reduction in neonatal mortality; (2) neonatal morbidity has been decreased but remains significant in the IDM; and (3) congenital anomalies have replaced RDS as a major cause of neonatal death for the IDM.

Cost-benefit analysis of preconception care for women with established diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the additional costs of preconception care are balanced by the savings from averted complications. Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of preconception care in reducing congenital anomalies in infants born of mothers with pre-existing diabetes mellitus. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study used literature review, consensus development among an expert panel of physicians, and surveys of medical care personnel to obtain information about the costs and consequences of preconception plus prenatal care compared with prenatal care only for women with established diabetes. Preconception care involves close interaction between the patient and an interdisciplinary health-care team as well as intensified evaluation, follow-up, testing, and monitoring. The outcome measures assessed in this study are the medical costs of preconception care versus prenatal care only and the benefit-cost ratio. RESULTS: The costs of preconception plus prenatal care are $17,519/delivery, whereas the costs of prenatal care only are $13,843/delivery. Taking into account maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes, the net savings of preconception care are $1720/enrollee over prenatal care only and the benefit-cost ratio is 1.86. The preconception care program remained cost saving across a wide range of assumptions regarding incidence of adverse outcomes and program cost components. CONCLUSIONS: Despite significantly higher per delivery costs for participants in a hypothetical preconception care program, intensive medical care before conception resulted in cost savings compared with prenatal care only. Third-party payers can expect to realize cost savings by reimbursing preconception care in this high-risk population.

Financial implications of implementing standards of care for diabetes and pregnancy.

This article examines the financial implications of implementing standards of care for pregnancy among women with diabetes, including both the costs of enhanced treatment and the savings of avoided adverse outcomes. Numerous studies have demonstrated the harmful effects of poor blood glucose control for both mother and fetus. Standards set forth by the American Diabetes Association aim to reduce maternal complications and fetal adverse outcomes, such as congenital malformations. Because the precise configuration of resources required to meet these standards was not outlined in the American Diabetes Association statement, a panel of physicians (all specialists in pregnancy care for women with diabetes) was convened to develop a model program. Implementing such a program during the preconception and prenatal periods will represent an intensification of resource use in the outpatient setting. However, through these preventive measures, medical care costs for maternal and fetal complications can be avoided.

Diabetes mellitus in pregnancy: have all the problems been solved?

The past decade has seen a remarkable improvement in the prognosis for the pregnancy complicated by diabetes mellitus. Perinatal survival has become as common in these pregnancies as in normal ones. This improved outcome has been achieved through a better understanding of maternal metabolism and the needs to regulate maternal glycemia carefully as well as through reliable techniques for the surveillance of fetal well-being and advances in neonatal care. Significant perinatal morbidity still occurs, and congenital malformations--the leading cause of perinatal mortality today--remain an unresolved problem. Maternal outcome must also be considered. Uncertainty remains regarding the course of retinopathy in pregnancy, and the small group of diabetic women with coronary artery disease do appear to be at increased risk for mortality during gestation. A systematic screening program for gestational diabetes must now be adopted.

Management of infants of diabetic mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical outcome of infants born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and preexisting insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). SETTING: A tertiary care regional perinatal center with a specialized diabetes-in-pregnancy program. DESIGN: Case series. RESULTS: Five hundred thirty infants were born to 332 women with GDM and 177 women with IDDM. Thirty-six percent of these 530 newborns were large for gestational age, 62% were appropriate for gestational age, and only 2% were small for gestational age. Seventy-six (14%) of all infants were born before 34 weeks' gestation, 115 (22%) between 34 and 37 weeks of gestation, and 339 (64%) at term. Two hundred thirty-three infants (47%) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit due to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), prematurity, hypoglycemia, or congenital malformation. Hypoglycemia (more common among infants of maternal diabetic classes C through D-R) was documented in 137 (27%) of all newborns. One hundred eighty-two infants (34%) had RDS of varying severity. Polycythemia (5% of infants), hyperbilirubinemia (25%), and hypocalcemia (4%) were other morbidities present. Two hundred forty-four infants were admitted for routine care and enteral feedings. Forty-three of these newborns required subsequent transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit for treatment of hypoglycemia (16 cases), RDS (19 cases), or both (8 cases). Routine care failures were more common among infants whose mothers had advanced diabetes, but less frequent among breast-fed infants. CONCLUSIONS: With modern management, fewer morbidities can be expected in infants of diabetic mothers. Those infants born to women with IDDM remain at risk for hypoglycemia, which can be treated in one half of the cases by enteral feedings alone. The majority of cases of RDS are mild and require short admissions to special care nurseries. Optimal care of infants of diabetic mothers is based on prevention, early recognition, and treatment of common conditions. Severe congenital malformations, significant prematurity, RDS, recurrent hypoglycemic episodes, and asymptomatic infants of women with advanced IDDM should be admitted to special care nurseries. Breast-feeding among women with GDM and IDDM should be encouraged.

Definition, detection, and management of gestational diabetes.

The Second International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes was held in Chicago, IL on October 25-27, 1984 as an invitational meeting sponsored by the American Diabetes Association with the cooperation of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Diabetic Pregnancy Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. The meeting was convened to collate existing information about gestational diabetes mellitus and to use state-of-the-art appraisals to achieve consensus about definitions, prognoses, and strategies for success, diagnosis, and intervention. The invited presentations documented that gestational diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disorder with varying incidence in various parts of the world. The increased obstetric and perinatal risk of undetected gestational diabetes was supported. The reports clearly established that more than half of the women with gestational diabetes mellitus ultimately develop permanent diabetes. Mounting evidence also suggests the possibility of long-range complications such as increased obesity and diabetes in the offspring. The available experiences with a variety of therapies such as diet and insulin were reviewed. The meeting highlighted the importance of gestational diabetes mellitus as a distinct entity deserving of increased recognition, treatment, long-range follow-up, and research.

A story of two miracles: the impact of the discovery of insulin on pregnancy in women with diabetes mellitus.

Before the discovery of insulin in 1921, pregnancies in women with diabetes mellitus were a rarity because most reproductive-age patients died soon after diagnosis of this illness. In the limited number of pregnancies reported in the pre-insulin era, both perinatal and maternal mortality were approximately 50%, with stillbirths being the primary cause of perinatal deaths. Insulin treatment restored the fertility of women with diabetes and was associated with a marked reduction in maternal mortality. Women with more severe disease had the opportunity to become pregnant; however, their pregnancies frequently resulted in neonatal death due to prematurity. Therefore, perinatal mortality was not substantially reduced.

The alphabet of academic medicine.

Today, academicians in obstetrics and gynecology are required to assume leadership roles in teaching, patient care, research, and administration. The junior faculty member facing these challenges needs a guide to help him or her adjust to the culture of the academic department. These lessons can be described in an alphabet of academic medicine.

T and J vertical extensions in low transverse cesarean births.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of T and J extensions in low transverse cesarean births at a regional perinatal center, identify the indications for these incisions, and evaluate the associated complications. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 56 patients delivered between January 1988 and November 1994 by low transverse cesarean birth requiring vertical extension of the incision into-the upper uterine segment. Cases of extension were compared with controls matched for gestational age, presentation, and indication for cesarean delivery. Data collected included demographic information, indications for extension, extension type, estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, and length of hospital stay. Paired Student t test and McNemar test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Vertical extensions were performed in 1.3% (95% confidence interval 0.42-2.26%) of low transverse incisions over a 7-year period. The most common indications were malpresentation (n = 31), poorly developed lower uterine segment (n = 12), and fetal head deeply arrested in the midpelvis (n = 6). Estimated blood loss was greater for patients requiring an extension (990 +/- 310 mL) compared with controls (790 +/- 150 mL), as were differences in preoperative versus postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit (P < .05). Surgical complications were observed in 28 of 56 (50%) subjects with a uterine extension, including excessive blood loss (n = 20), broad ligament hematomas or extensions (n = 4), cervical lacerations (n = 4), and uterine artery lacerations (n = 4). Patients with vertical extensions also had longer hospital stays (4.6 +/- 1.6 versus 3.8 +/- 1.1 days) (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Low transverse uterine incisions may be inadequate for the safe delivery of a fetus in cases of malpresentation, preterm birth, and poor development of the lower uterine segment. Used to complete these difficult deliveries, T and J extensions are often associated with intraoperative complications and prolonged hospital stays compared with controls.

Shoulder dystocia. A complication of fetal macrosomia and prolonged second stage of labor with midpelvic delivery.

Shoulder dystocia is an infrequently encountered obstetric emergency varying in incidence from 0.15 to 0.60% of all deliveries. Previously identified risk factors include maternal obesity, previous infants weighing greater than 4 kg, maternal diabetes, and fetal macrosomia (greater than 4 kg). To evaluate the role of prolonged second stage of labor (PSS) as a warning sign for shoulder dystocia, 9864 deliveries at LAC-USC Women's Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Ninety percent delivered vaginally and 4.89% had PSS with midpelvic delivery. Shoulder dystocia occurred in 0.37% of all vertex vaginal deliveries. In the absence of PSS and midpelvic delivery, the incidence of shoulder dystocia was 0.16%. However, with PSS and midpelvic delivery, the incidence of shoulder dystocia was 4.57% (P less than 0.01). Infants weighing in excess of 4 kg were at increased risk of shoulder dystocia compared with infants weighing less than 4 kg. When PSS occurred and midpelvic delivery was attempted, the incidence of shoulder dystocia was 21% in infants weighing in excess of 4 kg; 8% had had failed vaginal delivery. All shoulder dystocias and failed vaginal deliveries occurred after use of the vacuum extractor. Immediate neonatal injury was apparent in 47% of infants with shoulder dystocia after PSS with midpelvic delivery. There were no maternal or fetal deaths related to shoulder dystocia during the study period.

Management of diabetes mellitus and pregnancy: a survey of obstetricians and maternal-fetal specialists.

To ascertain current practice trends among obstetricians and maternal-fetal subspecialists regarding the care of pregnancies complicated by diabetes mellitus, a questionnaire was sent to all members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (SPO) and a randomly selected group of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Fellows. A total of 273 of 356 SPO members (77%) and 198 of 504 ACOG Fellows (39%) responded. When divided according to years post-residency (ACOGa, less than 15 years; ACOGb, 15 years or more), significant differences in practice patterns were observed for ACOG Fellows. The SPO responses were similar among these subgroups. Despite current ACOG recommendations, most clinicians practice universal screening for gestational diabetes. Significant discrepancies appear to exist between ACOGb versus ACOGa and SPO with regard to methods of glucose surveillance and the threshold for initiating insulin therapy in gestational diabetes. Intensive fetal surveillance, elective delivery, and high cesarean rates are common in pregnancies complicated by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, which is most often managed by a perinatologist or by an obstetrician in consultation with an internist. Few insulin-dependent patients seek preconceptional care.

Evaluation of the contraction stress test before 33 weeks' gestation.

The value of the contraction stress test (CST), although well documented in late pregnancy, has been questioned earlier in gestation. We have evaluated the reliability of the CST in 102 patients tested before 33 weeks' gestation. Eighteen patients with a positive CST had a significantly higher incidence of abnormal urinary estriol excretion (60% of patients), low Apgar scores (44%), growth retardation (39%), and perinatal mortality (277/1000) than did 84 women without a positive CST. Two stillbirths and 3 neonatal deaths occurred in the positive CST group. None of the neonatal losses was due to unnecessary premature intervention. Four patients with a positive CST showed no signs of fetal compromise, a false positive rate of 22%. Delivery was safely delayed an average of 6.1 weeks in patients without a positive CST. These findings demonstrate the predictive value of the CST and support its clinical application early in the third trimester.

Decision analysis of high-risk patient referral.

Decisions to refer obstetric patients are often complicated by social and financial considerations as well as medical risks. To study such decisions, 600 Fellows of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists were studied using a new decision analysis technique. It was found that obstetricians base their referrals predominantly on medical factors, but that other considerations can affect a close decision. Physicians differed on their indications to refer, as well as on the weight placed on some factors. Such differences could not be explained by age, training, or practice characteristics. Studying the referral process is important because successful regionalization depends on appropriate referral.

Diabetes mellitus and Graves' disease in pregnancy complicated by maternal allergies to antithyroid medication.

The pregnancy of a women with diabetes mellitus was complicated by Graves' disease and maternal allergies to propylthiouracil and methimazole. Preparations for surgical removal of the thyroid gland were being made until pregnancy intervened. Several well-documented mechanisms of hyperthyroidism, including increased intestinal absorption of glucose, decreased insulin responsiveness, and increased glucose production may exacerbate glucose intolerance; the daily insulin requirement of this patient rose 80% from her pregestational dosage. When large doses of propranolol failed to control her thyrotoxic symptoms and led to severe, recurrent hypoglycemic episodes, subtotal thyroidectomy was performed. A 42% decrease in insulin requirements was observed postoperatively, with return to the euthyroid state. A propensity for symptomatic postoperative hypoglycemia should be anticipated in diabetic patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

Maternal mortality in diabetes mellitus: an 18-year survey.

Over the past 50 years, maternal mortality for the pregnant diabetic has been reduced by half. In the period from 1957 to 1974, 24 pregnant diabetic women died in Los Angeles County. Seven deaths were directly attributed to the metabolic complications of diabetes. Fatal ketoacidosis occurred in the second and third trimesters, while hypoglycemia led to death in the first trimester or postpartum period. Of 15 patients alive at the onset of labor, 8 were delivered by cesarean section. Four of these women died from sepsis and 3 from hemorrhage. In contrast to other reports, vascular disease contributed to only 1 fatality.