Diabetes Mellitus And Pregnancy
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by absolute or relative deficiency of insulin resulting in hyperglycemia. It has been considered a multifactorial disease which involves genetic, immunological and purchased.
The importance of the association between diabetes and pregnancy is the high maternal and perinatal risk involved. Before the discovery of insulin, maternal mortality ranged from 30 to 50% and perinatal mortality from 50 to 60%. Later, with the use of insulin, with the knowledge of the physiological changes of glucose metabolism during pregnancy and the introduction of improved techniques and equipment in the neonatal handling, maternal and perinatal prognosis has changed dramatically.
Thus, at present maternal death from diabetes is exceptional and decreased perinatal mortality ranges from 3 to 6%.
The association of diabetes and pregnancy has a frequency between 1 and 5%, varying in relation to the population
analyzed by geographic area and the diagnostic criteria used. This partnership can take two forms:
The National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) proposed a classification of diabetes mellitus based on etiologic factors, dependence on insulin and other clinical findings. This is classified into four categories: DM type I (insulin dependent), DM type II (insulin independent), DM type III (gestational diabetes) and DM type IV (secondary diabetes).
