[Diabetes mellitus and pregnancy. Treatment and results from a central hospital]

During the years 1972-1988, 166 pregnant diabetics gave birth to 178 children at Herning Central Hospital. A regimen of meticulous diabetologic and obstetric control was used. The mean duration of pregnancy at delivery was 37 weeks. Induced vaginal delivery was used in 31%, Caesarean section was preferred in 51%. The total perinatal mortality was 3.9%. Among the 171 pregnancies, three developed diabetic precoma, 15 developed preeclampsia and 41 had urinary tract infection. Birth weight over the 90th centile was seen in 15.3%. The frequency of congenital malformations was 2.8%; 1.1% slight and 1.7% severe malformations.