Diabetes in Pregnancy Author: Elisha L. Brownfield, MD
Editorial changes - 2009-10-30
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Prevention
  • Counsel all diabetic women of childbearing potential on the need for pregnancy planning.
  • Counsel all obese women of childbearing age on the need for diet and exercise to decrease the risk of gestational diabetes.
  • Stop ACE inhibitor therapy, switch oral hypoglycemics to insulin, and review all other medications before conception.


Counsel all diabetic women of childbearing potential on the need for pregnancy planning. A

  • Ensure effective birth control at all times, unless the patient is trying to conceive and is in good diabetic control.
  • Counsel women with type 1 or 2 diabetes on the risks of fetal malformation associated with unplanned pregnancies and poor metabolic control.
  • Achieve fasting whole-blood glucose levels of 70 to 100 mg/dL and 2-hour postprandial levels of <140 mg/dL in diabetic women planning pregnancies.
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Counsel all obese women of childbearing age on the need for diet and exercise to decrease the risk of gestational diabetes. B

  • Provide nutritional counseling to obese women of childbearing age consistent with American Diabetes Association recommendations.
  • Consider recommending to obese women planning pregnancy or already pregnant:
    • A 30% to 33% calorie restriction if BMI >30
    • Limiting fat intake to <30% of calories
    • Increasing physical activity, as recommended outside pregnancy, or a program of moderate exercise if the woman is already pregnant
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Stop ACE inhibitor therapy, switch oral hypoglycemics to insulin, and review all other medications before conception. B

  • Stop all ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers.
  • Switch oral hypoglycemic agents to insulin therapy.
  • Stop cholesterol-lowering drugs.
  • Stop aspirin therapy.
  • Review other medications and stop any potential teratogens.
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FAQs
Elisha L. Brownfield, MD has no financial relationships with pharmaceutical companies, biomedical device manufacturers, or health-care related organizations.
Darren B. Taichman, MD, PhD, Editor, PIER, has received grant support from Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd , and honoraria for continuing medical education grand rounds and lectures given.


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