Abstract
Background: Pregnancy is associated with physiological increased resistance to insulin, leading to increased insulin requirements for diabetic women. Poor glycemic control in pregnancy is associated with neonatal and maternal complications. Insulin has been traditionally administered subcutaneously through multi daily injections (MDIs) however, use of insulin pumps or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) has become more widespread. As glycemic control has direct influence on perinatal and maternal outcomes, comparing MDIs and CSII in pregnant women with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (DM1) is of interest.
Aim: To investigate whether there is a difference in birth weights in infants born from DM1 mothers who use CSII compared to MDIs.
Methods and Results: This is a retrospective cohort study of women diagnosed with DM1 on either MDIs or CSII whose pregnancies were followed at our institution. The following data was collected on chart review: age, years since DM1 diagnosis, BMI and weight gain at each trimester, total daily insulin dose at delivery, presence of retinopathy or nephropathy, gestational age at delivery, delivery method, presence of hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, birth weight, sex of infant and neonatal complications. Preliminary analysis of our currently available data demonstrates that in age-matched groups of women on MDI (N=44) compared to CSII (N=8), there was no significant difference in infant birth weights (3491g ± 760 vs. 3554g ± 666, respectively). There was also no significant difference in neonatal complications (jaundice, hypoglycemia, shoulder dystocia, macrosomia, respiratory distress or prematurity). Women on CSII had been diagnosed with DMI for a significantly longer period of time (20 vs. 14 years) and were on higher total daily doses of insulin per body weight at time of delivery (p<0.05). Despite this, there was no significant difference in weight gain during pregnancy between the groups. There was also no significant difference in the presence of hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia or in C-section rates.
Discussion: Given the paucity of studies and the increasing use of pump technology among diabetic women, there remains a need for further research comparing the effects of MDIs and pumps on birthweights as well as other neonatal and maternal outcomes.
The Use of Insulin Pumps With Meal Bolus Alarms in Children With Type 1 Diabetes to Improve Glycemic Control