TY - JOUR

T1 - Stillbirth in diabetic pregnancies

AU - Mathiesen, Elisabeth R

AU - Damm, Peter

AU - Nielsen, Lene Ringholm

N1 - Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2011/2/1

Y1 - 2011/2/1

N2 - Pregnancy in women with pregestational diabetes is associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality. Stillbirth accounts for the majority of cases with perinatal death. Intrauterine growth restriction, pre-eclampsia, foetal hypoxia and congenital malformations may be contributing factors, but more than 50% of stillbirths are unexplained. Majority of stillbirths are characterised by suboptimal glycaemic control during pregnancy. Foetal hypoxia and cardiac dysfunction secondary to poor glycaemic control are probably the most important pathogenic factors in stillbirths among pregnant diabetic women. There is thus a need for new strategies for improving glycaemic control to near-normal levels throughout pregnancy and for preventing and treating hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Antenatal surveillance tests including ultrasound examinations of the foetal growth rate, kick counting and non-stress testing of foetal cardiac function are widely used. However, future research should establish better antenatal surveillance tests to identify the infants susceptible to stillbirth before it happens.

AB - Pregnancy in women with pregestational diabetes is associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality. Stillbirth accounts for the majority of cases with perinatal death. Intrauterine growth restriction, pre-eclampsia, foetal hypoxia and congenital malformations may be contributing factors, but more than 50% of stillbirths are unexplained. Majority of stillbirths are characterised by suboptimal glycaemic control during pregnancy. Foetal hypoxia and cardiac dysfunction secondary to poor glycaemic control are probably the most important pathogenic factors in stillbirths among pregnant diabetic women. There is thus a need for new strategies for improving glycaemic control to near-normal levels throughout pregnancy and for preventing and treating hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Antenatal surveillance tests including ultrasound examinations of the foetal growth rate, kick counting and non-stress testing of foetal cardiac function are widely used. However, future research should establish better antenatal surveillance tests to identify the infants susceptible to stillbirth before it happens.

U2 - 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2010.11.001

DO - 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2010.11.001

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 21256813

VL - 25

SP - 105

EP - 111

JO - Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

JF - Best Practice & Research: Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

SN - 1521-6934

IS - 1

ER -