Pregnancy and diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy can be expected to progress during the term of pregnancy. A retrospective study indicated that photocoagulation was successful in preserving vision in 70 to 80% of 30 pregnant diabetic patients as well as in a similar group of nonpregnant patients with juvenile-onset diabetes. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy, in and of itself, is not an absolute indication for therapeutic abortion.