A framework to classify gestational diabetes diagnosed by routine antenatal 75g glucose tolerance testing.

OBJECTIVE: To create an objective framework to classify gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosed by routine antenatal 75 g diabetes testing results to provide an alternative to current treatment-based classification. METHODS: A framework was created to classify gestational diabetes according to the severity of glycemic abnormalities after routine antenatal 75 g GTT (classes 1 through 4, determined by fasting and post-test glycemic abnormalities). A retrospective cohort chart review was used to correlate clinically how often diet therapy alone maintained glycemic targets throughout pregnancy in each class. Chi-square analysis was used to assess inter-class differences in the success of diet therapy alone maintaining glycemic targets throughout pregnancy. RESULTS: Seventy-four of 228 (33%), 35/228 (15%), 76/228 (33%), and 43/228 (19%) of the study population were classified as Class 1, 2, 3, or 4, respectively. Of eighty-nine patients who maintained glycemic targets throughout pregnancy with diet alone 51/89 (57%) were Class 1, 20/89 (22.5%) were Class 2, 11/89 (12.5%) were Class 3, and 7/89 (8%) were Class 4. Chi-square analysis showed statistically significant inter-class differences in the likelihood of diet therapy alone maintaining glycemic targets throughout pregnancy. CONCLUSION: In this framework classifying gestational diabetes according to the severity of glycemic abnormalities after routine antenatal 75 g GTT (an objective proxy for disease severity), the higher the assigned class, the less likely that diet therapy alone maintained glycemic targets throughout pregnancy (a clinical proxy for disease severity).

Risk of metformin failure in the treatment of women with gestational diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the metformin failure rate in women with gestational diabetes. METHODS: The study was designed as a retrospective cohort of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes by the 75 g 2 h oral glucose tolerance test. Women were placed into two groups: metformin success (107 patients not requiring insulin therapy) or metformin failure (15 patients requiring the addition of, or, transition to insulin). Primary outcome: rate of metformin failure. Secondary outcomes: maternal and neonatal factors. RESULTS: The failure rate of metformin was 15% (19/122 women) in the study. The failure group was more likely to have 3 abnormal values on a 2-h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (37% (n=7/19) vs. 15% (n=15/103), p=0.02). Patients who failed had higher average fasting blood glucose levels on the glucose tolerance test as well as on pretreatment fasting finger stick values. Those who failed metformin were diagnosed with gestational diabetes and started on metformin earlier in gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Overall low rate of metformin failure in treatment of gestational diabetes.

Insulin pump therapy for pregnancy: a primer.

Current knowledge and advances in insulin formulations, insulin pump technology, and blood glucose monitoring techniques have improved practitioners' ability to achieve diabetic people's blood glucose targets. Practitioners and pregnant women should bear in mind that important differences exist in glucose metabolism during pregnancy and require a different approach from non-pregnant people to avoid pregnant women's experience being adversely affected. Insulin pump therapy, if used skillfully by practitioners and their pregnant patients, can be especially beneficial for some diabetic women during their pregnancies. Women's healthcare practitioners should endeavor to be familiar with this therapy, even if they are not experts in its full complexity.

Intensive insulin therapy in pregnancy: strategies for successful implementation in pregestational diabetes mellitus.

The role of intensive insulin therapy (IIT) in the reduction of long-term diabetes-related complications is well established. Normal blood glucose level prior to and during pregnancy is critical in reducing both short- and long-term morbidity and mortality in mother and infant. IIT in pregnancy, though occasionally challenging, is necessary to achieve and maintain normal blood glucose level during pregnancy. Current knowledge and recent advances in insulin formulations and delivery systems have improved our ability to achieve glycemic targets in pregnancy while limiting maternal and fetal morbidity. The objective of this review is to discuss contemporary strategies for successful use of IIT in pregnancy.

Is routine prophylactic cervical cerclage associated with significant prolongation of triplet gestation?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if routine prophylactic cervical cerclage was associated with a significant prolongation of triplet pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study of all women carrying triplet pregnancies at a single institution during a four-year period was carried out. Selected maternal characteristics and obstetric outcome measures in women who received prophylactic cerclage (PC) were compared to women who did not receive PC (no cerclage placed and emergency cerclage). Statistical comparison was done using the Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. RESULTS: Fifty-five women had PC and 40 had no PC. There was no significant difference between these two groups in mean maternal age or weight, nulliparity, history of or current sexually transmitted disease, cigarette smoking, history of cervical insufficiency, prior dilation and curettage, prior cervical surgery, prior preterm labor/prolonged preterm rupture of membranes (PTL/PPROM), medical complications in pregnancy, current PTL/PPROM, gestational age at delivery, delivery prior to 28 weeks, delivery prior to 32 weeks, or delivery of an infant weighing less than 1000 or 1500 grams. Thirteen women in the no PC group (32.5%) required emergency cerclage. CONCLUSION: PC was not associated with significant prolongation of triplet pregnancy.

Contemporary management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in pregnancy.

UNLABELLED: Type 1 diabetes in pregnancy can result in significant short- and long-term morbidity to both mother and offspring if management is suboptimal. This morbidity imposes a considerable financial and health burden on the individual and society at large. There is currently a significant body of knowledge to offer guidance on optimal obstetric management of the woman with type 1 diabetes. Utilization of appropriate management guidelines preconception and during pregnancy is an effective strategy to limit complications of type 1 diabetes and should therefore become the standard of care. TARGET AUDIENCE: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the features of a type I diabetic patient, to outline the goals of preconception care in this population of patients, to list the potential adverse effects of diabetes in pregnancy, and to summarize a potential strategy for the management of insulin administration in pregnancy.

Insulin resistance complicating pregnancy in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient treated with protease inhibitors and corticosteroids.

BACKGROUND: Protease inhibitor therapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected adults has been associated with onset or aggravation of glucose intolerance. We report a case of a pregnant HIV-infected woman receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy who developed acute onset of severe insulin resistance during treatment for preterm labor. CASE: A 26-year-old multigravida with HIV infection treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy presented in preterm labor. During treatment, including corticosteroids for fetal lung maturity, severe hyperglycemia and ketonemia suggestive of diabetic ketoacidosis were detected. Aggressive intravenous fluid and insulin therapy was necessary to correct hyperglycemia. CONCLUSION: We found that HIV-positive pregnant women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy may be at increased risk for development of glucose intolerance. The use of medications that impair glucose tolerance, for example, corticosteroids, may have a synergistic effect in aggravating insulin resistance. Additional screening for glucose intolerance later in the third trimester should be considered in these patients.