Morphological findings in placentae of insulin-dependent diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous...

Twenty-one placentae from type I (insulin-dependent) pregnant diabetic patients, treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), were studied morphologically. Despite a near-optimal blood glucose control the placental changes were identical to those previously reported in diabetic pregnancy. The most frequently observed lesion was that of relative placental immaturity; this, when extensive, was related to antenatal fetal asphyxia. These data indicate that near normoglycaemia, achieved with CSII, does not modify the morphological expression of the disease in the placenta. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of placental development in the context of diabetic pregnancy.