Effects of longitudinal maternal glucose control on infants of diabetic mothers.

Between 1980 and 1987, 45 pregnant women with diabetes mellitus who required insulin therapy were delivered at Kagoshima Municipal Hospital. The perinatal mortality rate in the present study was zero. Twelve infants were large for gestational age, ten were small for gestational age, and 23 were appropriate for gestational age. Tight maternal glucose control (fasting values of less than 100mg/dl and 2 hours post-prandial values of less than 120mg/dl) obtained before 32 weeks of gestation significantly decreased the incidence of large for gestational age infants. However, longitudinal control patterns of maternal glucose during pregnancy have little effect on the incidence of small for gestational age infants and neonatal complications. The former was more closely related to maternal vascular complications. Congenital malformations were found in two cases.